Archaeologists unveiled 120 new terracotta warriors yesterday at the Qin Shihuang Unesco World Heritage site in Shaanxi province. The current excavation, which started in 2009, is the third at the site following two previous digs which were carried out in 1974 and 1985. The artefacts in western China were buried with the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty in the 3rd century BC.

The latest discoveries include never-before-seen items, including war drums and a dramatic painted shield. In total, more than 310 small pieces have been newly excavated as well as 12 clay horses.

The third excavation covers about 200 square metres in pit number one - the largest and the most visited of the Terracotta Warriors And Horses Museum. More than 1,000 of the life-size statues, each with unique facial expressions and hair styles, have already been discovered at the site.

They were originally put in place to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. The fierce figures are among the best-known images of China.