Monograph No. 75
MEMOIRS OF NARA NATIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE NUMBER XV ANCIENT BRONZE SWORDS IN CHINA
ENGLISHSUMMARY
RESEARCH REPORT OF NARA NATIONAL CULTURAL PROPERTIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE No. 75
2006
Independent Administrative Institution National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Nara
Ancient Bronze Swords in China
1. Emergence of Bronze Sword
Yang Hong, an authority of Chinese archaeology, has argued about arms in the Shang period as follow; bronze halberd, bronze axe, and bronze arrow appeared in the Erlitou culture (the Xia and early Shang periods). Bronze halberds were widely diffused as a main weapon of infantry during the middle Shang period. Bronze pikes were less popular than bronze halberds in the middle and lower valley of the Yellow River regions, while they were widely distributed in the Chang Jiang regions. Bronze pike was not originated from the Shang culture but appeared somewhere in the south of the Chang Jiang, and was introduced to the Shang Dynasty.
Bronze arms developed as main weapons in the Shang period. In the wake of military development of the Shang Dynasty, bronze arms were diffused in neighboring regions. Flat-hilt guardless bronze sword and bronze halberd have been excavated from a nomadic tribe’s burial in the Erligang (middle Shang) period at the Zhukaigou site in Inner Mongoria. Guardless bronze swords decorated with animal head relief or bell that followed guardless bronze sword of northern nomadic tribes were produced in the Hebei and Shanxi regions in the later Shang period. The flat-hilt guardless bronze sword from the Zhukaigou site is assumed to have been established under the influence of the guardless bronze sword of the northern nomadic tribes.
In Jiangxi, thirty-five bronze pikes have been excavated from the Xingan tomb that belongs to the same age of the Ruins of Yin. Fifteen of them were short pikes around 16 cm in length with short sockets where poles were attached (Figure 74-1, 2). Thirteen bronze pikes with long sockets were classified into two types; the large type was around 30 cm in length, and the small type was around 17 cm in length (Figure 74-2, 5). Five bronze pikes were around 10 cm in length with notably short sockets (Figure 74-4). The lengths of socket were variable; however, their blades were almost constant in length and they were broad leaf-shaped.
Bronze pikes have also been excavated at the Wucheng site that is contemporary with the Xingan tomb. Five bronze pikes have been obtained, and they were classified into three types (A, B, and C types). The specimen of A type has been seriously worn; however, it is assumed that this was the same type as the one with short socket at the Xingan tomb. Another type (Figure 74-6, 6’) was similar to the one with long socket at the Xingan tomb; however, the cross-section of the socket was circular, and the exterior of the socket was partitioned into three zones decorated with elaborate curlicue patterns. Boundary between socket and blade was accented by a band. The blade was leaf-shaped; however, it is slightly narrower in width and greatly longer in length (37 cm) than the counterpart at the Xingan tomb. The type B bronze pike at the Wucheng site was similar to the skew-edged bronze sword with long hilt with a pair of auricle decoration in the Western Zhou period (Figure 74-8, 8’). They shared a number of common features; tip of the blade was incurved, hilt was partitioned into three zones decorated with fretted curlicue patterns, and central ridge of the blade was prominent and edge was remarkably ground. It is likely that the latter was a converted sword from a bronze pike. An unique guardless bronze sword from the Wucheng site was similar to an anomalous bronze sword excavated from the Huqiu site at Suzhou in Jiangsu (Figure 74-9). They had a common feature that blade was bowed in cross-section and central ridge of the blade was flat with decoration of fretted convex pattern.
2. Development of Bronze Sword
The nomadic tribes settled in the regions of eastern Inner Mongoria, northern Hebei, and northern Beijing were collectively called Shangrong in the Western and Eastern Zhou periods. A feature of their guardless bronze swords was that the hilt and blade were made single-pieced by casting, and were decorated with animal designs. They had remained almost the same forms until introduction of iron implements. It has been pointed out that they were established under the influence of the north-eastern nomadic tribes.
We estimated the district of the Donghu tribe that was settled in a north-eastern part of the Shangron sphere. Their culture had some diagnostic features of the early Bronze Age. They were pastoral tribes and agriculturalists, and established sedentary settlements in the Liaoxi region including the eastern Inner Mongoria. Based on the swords in the Western Zhou period, they created unique types of swords; the twisted bronze sword with short tang was originated from the Western Zhou bistoury bronze sword with short tang, and the twisted bronze sword with cylinder haft was originated from the Western Zhou bronze sword with cylinder haft. The haft of the twisted bronze sword with short tang was originally made by wood; however, the sword with casting haft with counterweight made by meteorite appeared later. It is assumed that this was made for ritual purposes. Twisted bronze sword with short tang decorated by gold and silver was also appeared. Decorative swords became popular in this region. The Liaoxi twisted bronze sword with short tang was introduced to the Liaoning region in the later period.
There were two kinds of swords in the Wu Yue regions; one was simple and practical sword, and other was elaborated and over-decorated sword that is assumed to have represented owner’s prestige. The latter was developed into high-rank sword with inscription representing that the king of Wu Yue made it. In the later Chunqiu period, local chiefs of the Zhongyuan region were eager to acquire the Wu Yue sword as regalia.
Throughout the Chunqiu period, the local chiefs of the Zhongyuan region were eager to acquire the guardless bronze swords of the northern nomadic tribes. They converted them into Chinese style adding precious decorations such as gold and silver, and made them unique ones. Bronze sword was firstly adopted as a main weapon of regular troops in the local countries and established asocial position in the later Chunqiu period.
Many kinds of bronze swords have been found in the Eastern Zhou tombs at Luoyang. The tradition of bronze sword with long tang (with capsule) originated from the Western
Zhou bronze sword was survived in the Zhou loyal family at Luoyang. Their variants were introduced to other countries such as Qi and Chu. Unique elaborated swords made in other countries have also been found in the Eastern Zhou tombs at Luoyang. It is likely that these swords may have been dedicated to the Zhou loyal family from the local countries and redistributed to the aristocrats. It is assumed that the Zhou loyal family still had a political influence as a mediator for conflicts between the local countries, and the swords were dedicated from the local countries appreciating the mediation.
3. Generalization of Bronze Sword and Enhancement of Infantry
In the Eastern Zhou period, bronze sword was improved as a main weapon of infantry and systematically mass-produced in governmental factories in each local country when the arm race was accelerated between the local countries. While bronze sword was widely diffused in the Zhongyuan region, the neighboring hostile tribes also created unique styles of bronze swords. There were more variations of bronze sword in the southern region than the northern region, since many independent tribes were existed in each small area segmented by steep mountains and rivers.
The local countries’ ambition of territorial expansion drove the war spread. Major countries in the Zhongyuan region invaded and annexed the territories of neighboring tribes and assimilated them or drove them out to the periphery.
In the northeastern region, the countries of Zhao, Van, and Zhongshan expelled the tribes of Beirong and Donghu and established the settlements of Shanggu, Yuyang, Liaoxi, and Liaodong, and built great walls along the northern borders. The twisted bronze sword with short tang ceased to exist in the Liaoxi region in the early Zhanguo period. In the Liaodong region, the twisted bronze sword with short tang appeared in the early Chunqiu period and developed during the Zhanguo period. This was a result that the evictee of the Donghu tribe migrated to the northeastern region. In the later Zhanguo period, diffusion of bronze sword went through Jilin and reached as far as the Korean peninsular and the Japan archipelago. Bronze sword disappeared in the Chinese Northeastern period.
In the southwest region, Qin dominated the Sichuan basin and established the settlements of Ba and Shu. The Ba-Shu bronze sword used by surrendered remnants of indigenous tribes in the Ba and Shu regions was existed in this region for awhile; however, it disappeared in the Western Han period. Chu expelled the tribes of Baiyue in the Xiangjiang region and established the settlement of Changsha. The Yue tribes moved south over the Wuling area under the pressure of Chu and Nanyue (the successor of Qin) and were integrated into the people of the Dianchi region.
In the Chunqiu period, indigenous tribes were expelled to the periphery by the major countries of the Zhongyuan region in the aftermath of “Chinese” expansion. The Chinese countries scrapped traditional tribal communities and build states to monopolize the people and land. Then the productivity increased dramatically to intensify the production of iron instead of bronze. That enabled the major Chinese countries to expand their powers and territories. In the beginning, bronze sword still played a major role in the military; however, along with the development and spread of iron arms, bronze sword lost their role as a practical weapon. Further development of iron arms led to the loss of bronze sword in the later Western Han period.
2006年11月30日 発行
研究論集XV
奈良文化財研究所学報 第75冊
