Stone weapon
As early as 500 thousand years ago, our ancestors knew that the collision of two stones made them sharper, and the origin of weapons was closely related to the lives of the ancients. In the remote primitive times, faced with wild animals and harsh living environment, the ancients had to create some tools to protect themselves, develop and improve their living environment, and cut down trees or tie vines to long sticks to drive away or kill wild animals. Stone products at that time were a combination of tools and weapons. In the late Neolithic period, people were already using finely ground stone axes and knives, as well as various bows and arrows with sharp arrows and javelins, but at that time these were only used as hunting or tools to help development. At the end of primitive times, with the development of productive forces and the gradual progress of civilization, people began to own private property, and at the same time there was a struggle for property and slaves. These deadly tools are gradually on the right track, and these weapons are gradually separated from daily tools and become weapons to help people fight.
During the period of 1935, the archaeological team excavated a number of stone weapons in Zhejiang, including stone axes, stone sickles, stone ge, etc. At that time, the manufacture of weapons was divided into two stages: coarse crushing and fine grinding of stones. From primitive society to the middle and late summer, stone weapons have always occupied an important position, and the same weapons are gradually developing, from the initial rough manufacturing to the later fine and sharp. In the late Stone Age, people gradually created weapons that imitated the horns and claws of animals, which were more lethal. The productivity of ancient people was generally low. For a long time after the appearance of bronze weapons, stone weapons were frequently used.
Bronze weapon
Bronze weapons first appeared in the Xia Dynasty more than 4000 years ago. In the following 1600 years, bronze weapons occupied bronze weapons and witnessed the rise and fall of slavery society. Bronze ware reached its peak in Shang Dynasty because of its low melting point and good quality. Bronze weapons are much lighter and sharper than stone weapons, and once they appeared, they attracted the attention of literati at that time. Bronze weapons have also become the most important weapons in car wars from Shang Dynasty to Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period.
China was in the whole stage of slavery, and bronze weapons were always an important tool to support the slave owners at that time. At that time, slave owners established a large number of bronze workshops, conquered a large number of slaves, and made bronze weapons necessary for war for them non-stop. At that time, the army had a strict hierarchy. At that time, the children of the literati were all dressed in exquisite leather armor and ran with the chariots. Slaves with low status can only charge on foot in front with simple weapons such as sticks. With the improvement of smelting technology, various weapon forms appeared, and the manufacturing materials changed from simple mixing of copper and tin to careful collocation of various metals. This is also the reason why later bronze weapons became sharper and kept longer and longer. For example, some bronze daggers, spears and halberds containing a certain proportion of lead have been unearthed, and they can still remain sharp after years of excavation. At that time, many bronze weapons, especially bronze swords, were the personal weapons of the rulers at that time, and the decorative role was more important than the use. Bronze weapons gradually integrated into culture and became a status symbol.
Iron weapon
With the development of the times and smelting technology, in the Warring States period, when bronze weapons were in full swing, iron weapons appeared domineering. According to relevant historical records, the ancients mastered the technology of smelting iron as early as the Western Zhou Dynasty, but it was not until the Warring States period, especially after the reunification of the Qin Dynasty, that iron weapons entered the historical stage. During this period, not only weapons changed, but also slavery, which lasted for many years, gradually declined, and the emerging feudal system stepped onto the historical stage. Although iron appeared in the Warring States period, due to technical problems, it still failed to completely replace bronze ware. When both of them appeared on the battlefield at the same time, iron weapons quickly conquered those nobles who were still obsessed with bronzes with their tough bodies and unique cold light. When it comes to the helper of iron development, we have to mention Qin Shihuang. After the national reunification, a large number of bronzes were destroyed, which effectively promoted the development of iron weapons. It was not until the Western Han Dynasty, to be exact, the period of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty that iron weapons really replaced bronze weapons.
From the warring States period to the song dynasty, iron weapons have been developing in a more advanced direction, from the warring States period? Block steelmaking? , the Eastern Han Dynasty? Hundred steelmaking? Developed to the Western Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties? Horizontal method steel? Iron weapons have become more and more powerful, and iron weapons are also the peak of the cold weapon era, which lasted until the end of the cold weapon era. Even after the Song Dynasty, firearms came out, and cold weapons, mainly iron weapons, were still the most important weapons on the battlefield.
Hot weapon
The invention of gunpowder was a complete accident, but this accident changed the world. Firearms appeared on the battlefield in the Northern Song Dynasty 1000 years ago. Although this invention is one of the proudest existence of China people, it is undeniable that it is Europe that really brings its value into play and makes firearms flourish. China started the production of gunpowder as early as the Northern Song Dynasty, and also had gunpowder weapons, but that was only the embryonic form of gunpowder weapons, which was not the same concept as the well-known gun control. For more than 900 years, from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms to the end of the Opium War, China's civil war has always been the existence of firearms and cold weapons. Later, western countries spread firearms technology to China, which not only changed the main battle weapon, but also changed the whole war situation and China's position in the world.
Simply calculate the time interval between every two weapons. Stone weapons are the oldest, the most commonly used weapons in the world from 500,000 years ago to 4,000 years ago, and they last for the longest time, for a full 496,000 years. By the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, human civilization had shown a highly developed trend, and the development speed of social science and technology was also obviously accelerated. It took only 1600 years to change from bronze weapons to iron weapons, which is almost insignificant compared with the above. Firearms first appeared in the northern song dynasty, about 1000 years ago, which is 1000 years shorter than the former. Until today, physical and chemical weapons derived from gunpowder are still the mainstream in the world today, but their lethality has been countless times stronger than that of ancient times. With the progress of science and technology and social civilization, this evolutionary process will become shorter and shorter.