New Secrets of the Terracotta Army: Secret History

The ‘Secret History’ strand – revived after nine years – has so far proved a pretty encouraging diversion for C4’s historical documentary team following the muddy, bearded archeological years of ‘Time Team’. Having examined mummies, Queen Victoria and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the series turns tonight to China’s Terracotta Army, a necropolis only disinterred in 1974.

The figures surrounded the grave of the man who unified China territorially, linguistically and legally over two millennia ago, and it is these achievements that recent research, technological advances and, by extension, Ian Bremner’s documentary, illuminate. In one startling example, it’s revealed that the weapons carried by the warriors were military grade, designed to kill in the afterlife. No previews were available, but it should provide further encouraging evidence of life after Tony Robinson.