Ancient Bronze Weapons

Ancient Bronze Weapons

The most important thing of the state is in the rituals and military. Therefore, the most advanced technology was first used to make weapons, and bronze casting technology was no exception. Bronze weapons from the development of hunting tools, the Han Dynasty canon has the so-called "five soldiers", referring to the spear, crossbow, sword, go, forging (see Zheng Xuan note "Zhou Li"). However, the Lüdan says that the five weapons refer to the spear, halberd, battle-axe, taten, and jian. There are different ways of putting it. The surviving bronze weapons are roughly eight categories: go, halberd, spear, garrison, sword, knife, arrowhead, crossbow machine and so on.

The most common bronze weapon is the battle-axe. It is a torture instrument used for decapitation, and thus evolved into a symbol of power. In ancient times, when a king went out to battle, he often held a battle-axe in his hand.

The second most common bronze weapon is the bronze clasp and the bronze sword. Qin mausoleum crossbow figurine pit in the crossbow held in the linen made of tao, bow trunk and crossbow arm are wooden, crossbow arm length of about 70 centimeters, bow length of 133 to 144 centimeters, the original bow trunk wrapped with leather strips, the surface of the lacquer. The wood, leather and lacquer have all decayed, but only the bronze crossbow components and arrowheads are still intact. The shape of the crossbow machine, by the hook string of the [teeth], aiming [lookout] and as the trigger of the [hanging knife] several parts of the pivot nails connected, Qin Terracotta Warriors pit crossbow hanging knife in a rectangular shape, the lookout increased height, is conducive to enhance the flexibility of the machine and the accuracy of the aiming. Bronze sword is the representative of short weapons, since the Spring and Autumn period until the Qin and Han, are used to equip the troops. The sword unearthed in the pit of Qin terracotta warriors is about 90 centimeters long and has attachments such as the head of the sword, the sword frame, copper, copper swine and so on. Edge sharp, cold light glittering, is extremely sharp weapon.

Chinese bronze swords can be traced back to the Shang Dynasty. Ancient aristocrats and warriors often carried with them for self-defense and self-defense fighting. Swords in the shape of willow leaves appeared in the early Western Zhou Dynasty. During the Eastern Zhou period, wars were frequent and the sword was fully developed. This period appeared a lot of rare treasures, many famous swords and sword-making masters of the name has been passed down for centuries.

Equipped with a long handle hacking weapon knife, appeared in the Shang Dynasty, especially in the northwest region is more popular. Gao was developed from the knife used for harvesting crops, and its use was similar to that of the knife. It is the most common type of weapon in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, but also the most characteristic.

The spear was a weapon used for punching. Spear mounted on the upper end of the Go handle can be both stabbed and hooked to kill the dual-performance weapon called halberd, the Western Zhou Dynasty appeared spear cast into one of the cross-shaped halberd, the Warring States popular Bu-shaped halberd; to the Qin and Han dynasties, halberd into a "piece" type, such as the Three Kingdoms, Lu Bu "yuanyuanmen shot halberd "

The halberd is a household weapon in China.

Bronze arrowheads are sharp-edged parts mounted on the front end of arrow shafts, which can be shot at a distance with a bowstring flick. Bronze arrowheads have appeared in the period of Erlitou culture, is one of the earliest bronze weapons. Its shape is more, there are mainly two wings, three wings and three prongs of three types, with the development of the times and changes. During the Warring States period, the three-pronged arrowheads for long-distance shooting have been changed into iron collars.

Late Warring States period, with the development of iron weapons, dominant for hundreds of years in the Central Bronze weapons began to gradually decline. However, at this stage, the bronze weapon is still the main force of short soldiers. Particularly in the Qin Dynasty, the remainder of the warring states, still more use of bronze weapons, and in the form of bronze weapons and production technology, continue to develop.

In the spring of 1974, in shaanxi lishan qin shihuang mausoleum terracotta warrior pit, unearthed a large number of bronze swords, bronze beryllium, bronze gorgon, bronze halberd, bronze spears, crossbow machine, arrowheads, bronze Shu and other bronze weapons. At the end of the Warring States period, bronze is slowly withdrawing from history, iron, is opening a new era. And 40,000 pieces of weapons unearthed in the terracotta warrior pit, almost all cast from bronze. Could it be that the Qin army, which unified China by force, was really a poorly equipped army?

The late Warring States period iron weapons have appeared, but not yet widely used by the powers, metal technology is not fully mature; and at this moment, China's bronze ancient weapons smelting and casting technology (including metal technology) is in the last, but also the most brilliant peak. As we all know, high tin bronze blades are hard, but easy to break, Qin's weapon craftsmen better solve this metal technology problem, greatly improving the flexibility of the bronze soldiers.

So, the mighty Qin army is with these bronze casting JinGeBronze sword, strong crossbow and sharp spear, destroy six countries, unification of China, created the last strong voice of the bronze ancient weapons. In Pits 1, 2 and 3 of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses in Lintong, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, more than 40,000 pieces of bronze weapons have been unearthed. The number of weapons, the complete variety, the exquisite craftsmanship and the complete preservation are unprecedented. Reflected in the Qin army weapons, weapons category, manufacturing process, management system, etc., is the ancient weapons history research rare physical information.

This large number of bronze weapons of the era of Qin unification of China can be called the epitome and essence of the mainstream cold weapons of the pre-Qin era. Through the study and interpretation of this batch of weapons, it helps us to better understand the whole picture of bronze weapons in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. As the epitome of the great civilization of the Chinese nation, it leads us through the long river of time to perceive the past, the deep breath and strong pulse of our ancestors ......

Bronze ancient weaponry is an important part of Chinese bronze culture, and is one of the subjects to which both modern historians and archaeologists and bronze connoisseurs have attached great importance. All attach great importance to one of the topics, the three generations of bronze weapons in large quantities, is the study of the history of China's weapons of physical information. Reflects the frequent wars in the Three Dynasties period. The main types of bronze weapons in the Three Dynasties period are not many, but the variations of various types of weapons are more complicated. The first thing to study is the variations of various types of weapons. The shape of the weapon was gradually improved with the rich experience of using it, which brought about the evolution of the shape of the weapon. The study of the characteristics of the bronze weapons of various periods, to explore the sequence of changes in various weapons, the sequence is bound to reflect the process of improvement of the weapons. Shangzhou era pawns, warriors, military officers and other weapons are not exactly the same, or not the same at all, but so far there is a lack of comprehensive understanding, such as now do not know the Western Zhou era will be the soldiers of the division of the Shi's, the Huben and the foot Royal and other sets of weapons and equipment. This on the one hand certainly rely on the underground excavation, on the other hand also rely on the existing information for in-depth organization. East Zhou period of the vassal war, war scale expansion and war method of progress, require weapons continue to improve, improve. The weapons of the vassal states, have their own characteristics, such as Wu Yue's sword, Yan saw (sawtooth Hu's go), popular in the south, popular in the north of the short sword and so on. For this kind of information, some have done research, some still need to make systematic organization. Non-Chinese border countries of the weapons, some of the basic form is imitation of the Central Plains, but do not copy, each with their own characteristics, some of them into their own system. It is very important to study the bronze weapons of the remote ethnic groups, which shows the interconnection between the remote areas and the Central Plains from one aspect, and is an important supplement to the study of ethnic history. Another research work of the weapon is the composition analysis, in this matter, it has the speciality than the research of the bronze ritual weapon. Weapons are won by their alloy texture and style perfection, especially in the late Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, when the alloy composition of all kinds of weapons was greatly improved. At that time, the latest and most advanced casting methods were used for the casting of weapons, some of which were to improve the physical properties of weapons, and some of which were to play a decorative role. This was the larger research project, and much extremely valuable heritage in foundry science has been preserved here. From the above research tasks, it is not difficult to find that bronze weapons in the history of Chinese bronze culture has a fairly high status.

Before the liberation, there have been antique merchants involved in the exchange of three generations of weapons, such as the end of the Qing dynasty and the Republic of China, Beijing famous cultural relics collector Huang Joon, in Beijing Liulichang opened antique store, the side of the business, the side of the statement, through the eyes of the hands of the thing is very much, there has been a Zunguzhai ancient soldiers fine topography of the book, included more than three hundred topographies of the ancient bronze weaponry, the majority of the Shangzhou things.

In recent years, China's folk love three generations of bronze collection is increasing, by the influence of traditional habits, collectors are always focusing on bronze rituals, often ignoring other categories of bronze collection and collection. This makes the bronze market from time to time appeared some kind of deformed state, that is, the high price of bronze ritual ware, buyers, and other bronzes but few people ask for. Throughout the development trend of the bronze market, visionary, has begun to quietly focus on the collection of bronze weapons to transfer. Weapons are often ignored by the collection of the world, that playing bronze weapons is not enough grade, and economic value is not high. Do not know the pre-Qin period of bronze weapons and bronze rituals are also valued by the price, there is a "state of the great things in the rituals and ron" said, that is, for the war weapons and rituals for the rituals of the country is equally important, which is completely political, economic situation decided. From the unearthed ancient bronze weapons, whether it is offensive weapons (go, halberd, spear, battle-axe, knife, sword, dagger and crossbow, arrowheads, etc.), or defensive weapons (armor, armor, etc.), not only the material is excellent, the number of large, but also a variety of shapes, decorative and beautiful, and some also cast burin inscriptions, the appreciation of the taste is high, the collection of the value of the great, and bronze rituals comparable.

Bronze weapons, due to fewer collectors, and thus the price is relatively low, a number of years ago a black lacquer ancient bronze sword, only to ask for three or two thousand dollars, a piece of the warring states can be bought for only a few hundred dollars. Now due to the increase of enthusiasts, bronze weapons have gradually become the market hot spot, a rather ordinary Warring States sword has been sold to one or two million, visible value of the rate of increase, but relative to its historical value and cultural value, is still far from reaching its due height. Talking about the market value of bronze weapons, and there is no definitive, according to the collection practice, and some similar to the bronze rituals, that is, the same kind of artifacts, the age of the early superior to the age of the late, the size of the large superior to the size of the small, there are decorative superior to no decorative, rare superior to the rare, by the inscription of the superior to the uninscribed, the quality of the good superior to the quality of the poor and so on.