What exactly was the Qin crossbow that was invincible in the Qin army like?

What was the Qin crossbow that was invincible in the Qin army like?

In March 1974, Lintong County Yanzhai Commune, Xiyang production team in the northern foot of Mount Li pre-hunting fan plateau, excavation work carried out to the third day, the villagers found that there are traces of rammed earth, carried out to the fifth day, the discovery of broken pottery figurines. Heard the archaeologists rushed to the terracotta figurines identified as the burial artifacts of the Qin mausoleum, and at the same time carried out a trial excavation, dug out more terracotta figurines.

On July 15, the Terracotta Warriors archaeological team formally entered the site, and after excavation, discovered that underneath the well-drilling site was a rectangular burial pit with a total area of 14,269 square meters, which is the famous Terracotta Warriors Pit No. 1. In the first half of 1976, the staff also discovered Pit No. 2 and Pit No. 3 nearby Pit No. 1, which is the most famous burial pit of all time, and the most famous burial pit of all time.

The Terracotta Warriors Pit unearthed a variety of postures of terracotta figurines, many of which were in the posture of maneuvering a crossbow, such as the famous standing and kneeling terracotta figurines, which represent the state of opening and entering a crossbow, respectively. In addition, a large number of crossbows and arrowheads were unearthed in the pit of Qin terracotta warriors, and like other weapons unearthed in the pit of Qin terracotta warriors, these crossbows were covered with a tao made of linen cloth on the outside. Since these crossbows were made of bamboo and wood, most of their bodies have long since decayed, leaving only traces in the pit.

Early on, archaeologists have not been able to unearth a complete crossbow in the terracotta pits, so research on Qin Dynasty infantry crossbows has centered around a single bronze crossbow.

This crossbow is an accessory of the bronze carriage, the west side of the Qin mausoleum has unearthed two sets of bronze carriage, each set of bronze carriage with four horses and a car, a driver, which the first car comes with a model of the bronze crossbow, placed on the model of the bronze carriage on the bow-bearing device. Because of the overall structure of the bronze carriages realistic, so the copper crossbow should also be imitated at the time of the actual crossbow made of copper carriages and horses for the size of the actual size of about half, so according to the size of the copper crossbow, can easily be deduced from the size of the crossbow used in the Qin Dynasty. From the appearance, the copper crossbow and the Warring States period of the single crossbow is very similar.

What is noteworthy is that the crossbow is equipped with two strings, the second of which is located between the combination of the crossbow arm and the traditional bowstring. It is thought that after a crossbow arrow is shot, the rebound of the bow arm, if too strong, will damage the elasticity, and the purpose of the second string is to keep the bow arm from rebounding too much.

Archaeologists measured the copper crossbow, and in accordance with the measured data speculated the actual size of the Qin crossbow, respectively: crossbow arm length of 78.4cm, crossbow arm length of 140.4cm, the string length of 132cm, the string diameter of 0.8cm.

From the third excavation of the excavation of the size of the physical objects, the speculation of the data at that time is closer to the real situation. In the process of the third excavation of the Qin Terracotta Warrior Pit, finally archaeologists found a more complete crossbow, which makes the real data of the Qin crossbow finally appeared in the people's field of vision.

This more complete crossbow was unearthed in the first pit, using a bronze crossbow bolt, the crossbow body is 77cm long, the length of the crossbow arm after the curve is straightened is 145cm, the length of the bowstring is in the range of 120~130cm, and the diameter of the bowstring is about 0.8cm, non-woven fabrics, with a smoother surface, so the experts speculate that it might have been made of the tendons of animals.

The crossbow with cheese wood, cheese wood is to avoid deformation of the bow arm parts, crossbow body on both sides of the bow arm each installed a piece of the body for a long wood, supported in the crossbow arm and the crossbow body of the junction between the bow and a little bit of a long wood in the middle of a short piece of wood, supported by the center of the bow arm, the long wood on the three holes, the user with the rope through the holes of the long wood and the arm of the crossbow tied together. The barbed wood is normally mounted on the crossbow to avoid deformation of the crossbow arm, and is removed during combat.