We’ve categorically avoided the “mummies and ancient clay pot room” in museums since that first class trip so many years ago. Ancient Mesopotamia? Sure… right after we take a tour of the gift shop. But no one can refute the mindblowing coolness that is the British Museum’s new exhibit The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army.

Around 225 BC, there lived a Chinese Emperor – the first Chinese Emperor, in fact – named Qin Shihuangdi. We’ll call him Qin for short. Qin is credited with creating the oldest surviving political entity in the world, older even than the partnership structure of a law firm (see, history can be fun!). In anticipation of his death, Qin had government labourers and local craftsmen spend years making thousands of life-size terracotta warriors, each with unique faces and authentic battle armour. Their purpose, scholars believe, was to be buried beside the Emperor to help him rule another empire in the afterlife. His people complied and we have to assume that Qin went on to kick some major otherworldly tail: 8,099 of these warriors were discovered buried near Qin’s mausoleum – which itself is said to have taken 700,000 workers 38 years to build – in 1974.

From now through April at the British Museum, you can see the largest number of these incredible (and incredibly old) terracotta figures outside of China. The Terracotta Army is considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 21st century and after taking a look yourself, you’ll understand why. Even we agree – dusty arrowheads and King Tut have nothing on our man Qin.