Bamboo

Swords first became a popular weapon in China during the Zhou Dynasty. After defeating the degenerating Shang kingdom, the Zhou Dynasty began in 1027 BCE and lasted until about 221 BCE.

The Zhou Dynasty is separated into distinct periods. These are the Western Period and Eastern Period. During the Eastern Period, there are the subperiods of Spring and Autumn and the Warring States. It is believed that swords crafted out of bronze were developed in the 6th century, during the Spring and Autumn time of the Eastern Period, and their development was attributed to the technological advancement in the field of warfare. Some swords did exist before this time, however, they were not used on a widespread basis. Before the Eastern Zhou, many weapons that were sword-like were actually shorter than the average length of a sword, and were more like daggers. Other swords were made out of heavy stone.

Sword of Gou Jian

An excellent example of a sword from this era is the Sword of Gou Jian, which was discovered by archaeologists in 1965. After thousands of years, it still remains untarnished and in excellent condition. See the Sword of Gou Jian (link)

Swords in China at this time were typically constructed out of bronze and then later, in iron during the 3rd century BCE.

The sword is believed to not just be a weapon of war; it also embodies magical powers. Blades are often etched with beautiful designs.

Swords remain as one of the most commonly used weapons in Chinese martial arts, including Tai Chi and Kung Fu.

More information on Weapons in the Shang Dynasty

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 10th, 2006 at 6:28 pm and is filed under Weapons. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.