A 2,200-year-old crossbow which some experts believe could have been almost twice as powerful as a modern-day assault rifle has been discovered among the Terracotta Warriors . The crossbow , which was found intact this week , could have shot an arrow up to 2,600 feet - about the length of nine football pitches , the People 's Daily Online reported . The discovery is particularly exciting as experts believe the crossbow may hold the secret to the success of China 's first emperor , Qin Shi Huang . Discovery : This is the first ever crossbow to have survived intact found from the Qin Dynasty . Uncovered : The bow is still half-buried next to one of China 's famous terracotta warriors . The crossbow , which was found half-buried next to one of the terracotta statues , was discovered by archaeologists working at the site . It is the first time archaeologists have seen a complete version of the weapon , although they previously found 10 more broken crossbows in the same pit . The bow measures almost five feet in length , with a height of about 50 inches . Its size suggests that it was one of the most powerful bows of its era . Historical texts indicate that its firing range could have been up to 2,600 feet , according to Huashang Newspaper , which is double the range of an assault rifle , which is about 1,300 feet . Some historians believe that analysis of a number of historical texts shows that the crossbow was integral to several important military victories of the period . Archaeological importance : Many weapons have been found in the pits , like these ones from 2006 . New : A 'Qing ' , an item which they had only read about in history books , was also discovered in the pit . Archaeologists are equally excited about the discovery of a 'Qing ' , an item which they had previously only read about in historical texts . The Qing helps explain how the crossbow was transported and stored , helping it to maintain its shape when not in use . 'We believe that not only in the Qin dynasty but perhaps during the entire Warring States Period they had a very complete system of weapons production , storage and transportation , ' Shen Maosheng , the archaeologists ' team leade , r told Central China Television . 'This discovery of the most complete Qin Dynasty crossbow , especially the Qing , provides us with new historical evidence for the follow-up study of the Terracotta , especially the study of the Qin dynasty military force . ' China 's first emperor was buried over two thousand years ago in the most opulent tomb complex ever found in the vast country . Qin Shi Huang 's colossal burial site in Xi'an , is thought to comprise some 8,000 life size human soldiers arranged in groups , plus other figures . The ancient site contains a collection of underground caverns containing everything the emperor would need for the afterlife , including reproductions of his armies , concubines , administrators and servants . The first of the life-size terracotta statues was unearthed in 1974 by farmers digging wells near Xi'an and a further 2,000 have been unearthed since . But the emperor ’ s burial mound has been left untouched because of fears a delicate artwork showing ancient beliefs of the afterlife , could be damaged using current archaeological methods . The site contained a poisonous mercury moat to keep out looters , and experts think further booby-traps await investigators inside the emperor 's chamber .
Intact crossbow was found by archaeologists working on the bow . Is the first complete crossbow ever found from the 18th dynasty . Archaeologists also discovered a ' Qing ' - the bow 's storage chamber . these have previously only ever been read about in history books .