New archeological weapon discoveries

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Kung Fu Forum
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Cool story…

China Exclusive: Teenager stumbles on 3,000-year-old bronze sword in river
English.news.cn 2014-09-06 19:25:51

NANJING, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) – A child in east China’s Jiangsu Province had a stroke of luck after lunging into a river and stumbling upon a 3,000-year-old bronze sword.

Yang Junxi, an 11-year-old boy, discovered upon the rusty sword on July 2 when he was playing near the Laozhoulin River in Linze Township of Gaoyou County, according to the Gaoyou Cultural Relics Bureau.

While washing hands in the river, Yang touched the tip of something hard and fished out the metal sword. He took it home and gave it to his father Yang Jinhai.

Upon hearing the news, people began flocking to Yang’s home, the father said.

“Some people even offered high prices to buy the the sword, but I felt it would be illegal to sell the cultural relic,” Yang said.

After considering his options, the father sent the sword to the Gaoyou Cultural Relics Bureau on Sept. 3.

The bureau arranged initial identifications on the sword with a joint team of local cultural relics experts on the sword’s material, length, shape and other major factors.

Initial identifications found the 26 cm-long yellow-brown sword could be dated back to more than 3,000 years ago, around the time of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, said Lyu Zhiwei, head of the cultural relics office of the bureau.

“There was no characteristic or decorative pattern on the exquisite bronze sword. Made in a time of relatively low productivity, its owner would have been an able man with the qualification to have such artifact,” he said.

“The short sword seems a status symbol of a civil official. It has both decorative and practical functions, but is not in the shape of sword for military officers.”

It is the second bronze artifact found in the region after a bronze instrument was excavated in the nearby Sanduo Township.

The sword was found in the Laozhoulin River, which crosses the ancient Ziying River which was excavated in the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-206 BC).

It also interlinks the ancient Han Ditch as the “predecessor” of China’s Grand Canal, the world’s longest artificial waterway with a history of more than 2,400 years.

The 1,794-km canal runs from Beijing to Hangzhou in China’s eastern Zhejiang Province. It was entered into the World Heritage list in June 2014.

The city has conducted several rounds of dredging in the Laozhoulin River, which might surface the sword from the river bottom, said Lyu, adding that the township government has prepared a further archeological dig into the river and in the nearby areas.

The relics bureau and municipal museum of Gaoyou City have sent the collection certificates and bonus for the boy and his father in honor of their deeds of protecting and donating cultural relic.
Editor: Yang Yi

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Nice find

I split this off from another thread into its own thread. Not that I expect this thread to grow that dramatically, but I love ancient Chinese weapons.

[URL=“http://shanghaiist.com/2014/11/03/shaanxi-man-finds-ancient-sword-while-working.php”]Shaanxi man finds ancient sword while working

A 26-year-old man in Danfeng county of Shaanxi province was awarded a certificate and 500 RMB by the local cultural relic department this past Tuesday after he found a bronze sword inside some clay while he was sifting, according to NetEase News.

Li Lei told reporters that some people had offered to buy the ancient sword for 100,000 RMB, but he turned them down and handed it over to the cultural relic department.


According to Lu Qinghe, an archaeological expert, the sword dates back over 3,000 years to Warring States’ Chu Dynasty. It is 46.5cm long, 4cm wide and weighs 0.61 kg. Lu added that among all swords that had been unearthed locally, this one is the most intact and has great archaeological value attached to it.


In September, a 3,000-year-old sword was found by a little boy when he was washing hands in a river in Jiangsu province.

By Lucy Liu
There’s a vid too but it’s on tencent so our forum won’t allow for embedding it.

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Another nice find

I’ve held ancient bronze swords like this one. They are surprisingly detailed in their craftsmanship.

2,000-year-old sword found in Henan
By Wang Zhenghua (chinadaily.com.cn) Updated: 2015-03-15 10:37


A well-preserved bronze sword was unearthed in Zhoukou, Henan province. [Photo/IC]

A well-preserved bronze sword was unearthed in Zhoukou, Henan province, from a 2,000-year-old tomb along with other funeral objects.

The Beijing Times reported on Sunday that the sword, found in the tomb complex built between the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and Eastern Han Dynasty (25 AD-220 AD), remains intact and still glitters.

The local archaeological department found the tomb complex composed of a total of 21 graves when exploring the underground culture relics before an infrastructure project in the city’s Xiangcheng area.

Most of these graves have been robbed and just five of them remain intact, where pottery products including jug, can, spoon, plate, bowl and eaves tiles were unearthed.

Other relics include the sword, two bronze spears and a bronze dagger-axe. Archaeologists said the sword belonged to the tomb owner and was buried with him when he died.


Another piece of relics was unearthed in Zhoukou, Henan province. [Photo/IC]


Archaeologists work at the 2,000-year-old tomb. [Photo/IC]

I’m adding the words ‘archeology’ ‘archeologist’ and ‘ancient sword’ here so it’ll come up on the forum search. It took me a bit to find this thread again.

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“Some people even offered high prices to buy the the sword, but I felt it would be illegal to sell the cultural relic,” Yang said.

This is what a century of ruthless grinding and disenfranchisement does to people. To have dropped all mao’s commie carrots programs and be in a current state where they are ipso facto meat cattle in waiting.
If it was anything but a scam for elite $$ & power grabbing, they wouldn’t be trying to force it or, like us, the Islamic version of it, all over the world.
"Now give us our sword you found and say! You got some sexy lookin kidneys there comrade - " :slight_smile:

Americans, “eating bitter” is a lie and “feeding steel” is the cure of it. We were supposed to fight bitter in the world, not tolerate or aid it

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I love how it’s grave robbing, accept when your an archaeologist…:rolleyes:

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:confused:

Archaeology is not tantamount to grave robbing. It is an attempt to rectify our otherwise ridiculous short collective memories.

Even in your lifetime you are going to have moments where you recognize a repetition of something that you took for granted for years already.
The reason for it’s repetition is that the generation behind you, does not have that knowledge to take for granted yet.

Archaeology helps us understand who we are historically and how we developed. Without knowing that, within a generation we could be rendered utterly stupid about our past.

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Archaeology is not tantamount to grave robbing. It is an attempt to rectify our otherwise ridiculous short collective memories.

Even in your lifetime you are going to have moments where you recognize a repetition of something that you took for granted for years already.
The reason for it’s repetition is that the generation behind you, does not have that knowledge to take for granted yet.

Archaeology helps us understand who we are historically and how we developed. Without knowing that, within a generation we could be rendered utterly stupid about our past.[/QUOTE]

Archaeology is good. No argument. But if someone digs up a grave and sells an artifact that ends up in a museum he is a grave robber. If a museum finances an expedition to dig up artifacts from a grave they are not robbing.

I kind of get irritated whenever some peasant farmer finds a priceless, ancient whatever and gives it to the government without getting so much as a finders fee in return, when he could have just sold it on the black market for a fortune and bettered his life a hundred times.

In not quite the same circumstances, just recently a bunch of gold coins were found, off Israel, if I remember right. It was a group of private divers that made the discovery and found the coins. I understand the laws says the country owns all antiquities; it’s for the greater good and all that…but shouldn’t they get something? They did the work, they found it, the stuff would still be at the bottom of the sea if it wasn’t for them…but had they kept the fortune for themselves, they would have been criminal looters. Now they’re just suckers.

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That and other subtleties was what I noticed.

The find is excellent. It is tiny too, like suits of armor from europe. People are like double size now and I guess that counts worldwide.

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Well, this is an unexpected turn for this thread…

I just have three photos to post here.

:stuck_out_tongue:

Now back to ancient weapons…

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[QUOTE=Kellen Bassette;1281861]Archaeology is good. No argument. But if someone digs up a grave and sells an artifact that ends up in a museum he is a grave robber. If a museum finances an expedition to dig up artifacts from a grave they are not robbing.

I kind of get irritated whenever some peasant farmer finds a priceless, ancient whatever and gives it to the government without getting so much as a finders fee in return, when he could have just sold it on the black market for a fortune and bettered his life a hundred times.

In not quite the same circumstances, just recently a bunch of gold coins were found, off Israel, if I remember right. It was a group of private divers that made the discovery and found the coins. I understand the laws says the country owns all antiquities; it’s for the greater good and all that…but shouldn’t they get something? They did the work, they found it, the stuff would still be at the bottom of the sea if it wasn’t for them…but had they kept the fortune for themselves, they would have been criminal looters. Now they’re just suckers.[/QUOTE]

I had a friend who worked for the FBI. I asked him one day what a person should do if they found a briefcase full of money. You know what he said? Hide it. When ever you need some spare cash take a few bills and use them. The law states that you must turn it in to the authorities and if no one claims it within 30 days it’s yours. Only he said that you’ll never see it. That money will get “lost” or someone will come to claim it one way or another (even if it’s one of the chief’s pals) either way you’ll never see it. Most always that much money in a briefcase is the result of something shady so it’s probably criminal money anyway. Put it to good use.

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Thus spake lao fu -

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well alright then…

…back on topic now. :rolleyes:

The most complete ancient crossbow unearthed with terracotta army
(Chinadaily.com.cn) 14:51, March 20, 2015


The most complete ancient crossbow to date was discovered in the terracotta army pit one in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Archaeologists have recently discovered the most complete ancient crossbow to date in the terracotta army pit one in Xi’an, Shaanxi province.

Among hundreds of pieces of crossbows unearthed in the past, this one is said to be the best-preserved in general, with a 145cm arch and a 130cm bow string. The bow string has a smooth surface which experts believe to be made from animal tendon instead of fabric and the trigger mechanism is made of bronze, according to Shen Maosheng, head of the archaeological team.

Shen also points out that this new discovery sheds light on how Qing, two wooden sticks usually discovered alongside the weapon, were used to maintain and transport the crossbows in ancient times. Although ancient documents often mentioned Qing, its function had never been clearly identified until this recent discovery.

“When we dusted off the sticks, we found three holes equidistant from each other and concluded that they were probably used to hang up ropes that fastened the crossbows when they were not in use,” Shen said.

“It was a great way to keep the arch and string in shape and thus maintain their power in the long run. Besides, Qing was practical to help fix the crossbows during transportation.”

The best crossbows’ shooting range could double that of an AK47, reaching almost 800m, Yuan Zhongyi, former curator of Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors told Huashang Daily.

The discovery of the complete set of crossbows will help scientists to create the most precise model of the weapon and calculate its shooting range more accurately.


The most complete ancient crossbow to date was discovered in the terracotta army pit one in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

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Another find

Chongqing farmer finds ancient sword, unwittingly uses it as kitchen knife for several years

Government officers from Chengkou county, Chongqing province recently discovered an ancient sword that had been used as a kitchen knife by an elderly farmer for several years.

The 60-year-old farmer, named Yi Shouxiang, found the sword while digging on his farmland five years ago.

According to People’s Daily, the sword bearing three written characters was rather rusty but its pointed end and the hilt were nowhere to be found. After polishing and sharpening the sword, Li has used it as a knife ever since.

The value of the sword was revealed when the government officers recently visited Li’s village in search of farm tools of historical value for exhibition. The sword is suspected to originate from the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1912) due to the presence of three Chinese characters which read “Qing Long Jian” (Green Dragon Sword).

Although the sword is estimated to be very old, by polishing the blade Yi may have hampered efforts to determine its exact age. The officers have contacted the local cultural bureau to evaluate the sword’s historical value as soon as possible.

By Lucy Liu

[Image via Chongqing Evening News]

This image looks so much like a modern jian. Shame that farmer didn’t know what he had. There’s a lesson to be learned here about restoring potential antiques.

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Not Chinese…

…but still super cool.

A hiker stumbled upon a millennium-old Viking sword
By Elahe Izadi October 23
(Hordaland County Council)


A Viking sword more than 1,200 years old. The ruler above is about four inches. (Hordaland County Council)

Gøran Olsen had taken a break from his hike in Norway’s Haukeli region when he noticed something odd beneath the rocks.

It was a sword. And not just any sword, but a Viking sword estimated to be 1,265 years old and in remarkably good condition, the Hordaland County Council announced this week.

“It’s quite unusual to find remnants from the Viking age that are so well-preserved,” County Conservator Per Morten Ekerhovd told CNN. “[The sword] might be used today if you sharpened the edge.”

Indeed, such a find is not common, according to archaeologist Jostein Aksdal. "It is very special to get … a sword that is merely lacking its grip,” he told the Local.

The wrought iron sword measures just over 30 inches, according to the county council.

Extracting iron cost a lot during the Viking era, when swords served as status symbols; this particular weapon was most likely owned by a rich Viking, Ekerhovd told CNN.

Officials announced that once the snow melts in the spring, they will return to the spot in Haukeli where this sword was uncovered to see whether they can uncover anything else.

The sword, meanwhile, has been handed over to the University Museum of Bergen for preservation and research.

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[QUOTE=GeneChing;1284904]This image looks so much like a modern jian. Shame that farmer didn’t know what he had. There’s a lesson to be learned here about restoring potential antiques.[/QUOTE]

In a blade-related forum I’m a member of, a guy asked the value of an antique Japanese tanto he had acquired. He had cleaned the rust off the blade, and he was told that by doing so, he could have potentially taken around $10,000 off the value of the knife.

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Not a sword, but some spearheads

Some really old spearheads…

Hunting weapons made from BONES found in Chinese cave: 35,000-year-old harpoons are the oldest found outside of Africa

Archaeologists found 17 bone tools including awls, spears and harpoons
The bone tools are thought to between 35,000 and 18,000-years-old
They chart how technology changed as prehistoric human diets shifted
Experts say these humans went from hunting medium mammals to fish

By RICHARD GRAY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 08:03 EST, 3 March 2016 | UPDATED: 08:10 EST, 3 March 2016

The ability of our ancestors to create their own tools was thought to be one of the key skills that set us apart from other early human species, and the rest of the animal kingdom.
Now some of the oldest sophisticated bone tools to be discovered outside Africa have been unearthed in a cave in China.
The sharp points, awls, harpoons and wedges were carefully carved out of bone up to 35,000 years ago.


Archaeologists have discovered what they claim to be the oldest harpoons to be made from bone outside Africa. Dated to between 35,000 and 18,000-years-old, they chart how human technology changed as diets altered. They are providing insights into how early human societies and cultures altered

They are helping to provide new insights into the technology used by stone age humans as they colonised the globe.

Archaeologists discovered the 17 exquisitely carved and polished tools at a Palaeolithic site known as Ma’anshan Cave close to Zunyi city in Guizhou province in southern China.

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it amazing what is out there waiting to be discovered… modern man is catching up… slowly. :wink:

http://www.cnet.com/pictures/swords-from-the-stars-weapons-forged-from-meteoric-iron/

http://www.ripleys.com/blog/meteorite-swords/

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Slightly OT

…but very interesting and relevant. Good one from Scott Rodell.

//youtu.be/NhdFygUJOek

RECREATING A 400-YEAR-OLD CHINESE SWORD IS COMPLICATED AS HELL
POSTED BY SARAH KEARTES ON JULY 28, 2016 SHARE: TWITTER FACEBOOK GOOGLE+ REDDIT EMAIL
FILMSSCIENCETECHWEB

The smiths of Baltimore Knife and Sword have escorted us through Middle Earth, fathoms below an Aquaman-inhabited ocean, and into Kombat with a 10,000-year-old princess. Their latest build, however, stems from a location closer to home: China.

The Dan Dao saber dates back to 1616, a period of the Ming dynasty where battle was commonplace. During this time, Ming soldiers defended China’s coastline against the Wokou, a band of Japanese pirates who regularly raided their waters. But as is the case in most tales of war, the Chinese also stole something from their sailing opponents.

In a move that would teach the Ming army how to fight like their enemy, martial arts master Cheng Zong You developed a secret manual (Dan Dao Fa Xuan) that documented the swordsmanship from these battles. “Dan Dao,” which translates to “single knife,” was developed as the Chinese counterpart to Japan’s katana. It’s the longest of the Chinese two-handed sabers, and mirrored by “Shuang Dao,” the “twin knives.”

“Because this year marks the 400th anniversary of the manual, we wanted to recreate the sword using ancient techniques,” explains team member and master blade smith Ilya Alekseyev. “We used ironsand to create our steel.”

The black or red sand is rich in magnetite iron oxide, an ore that is often locked in with silica, manganese, and calcium. Superheating the substance with charcoal not only separates the impurities, but also fuels the chemical reaction that transforms iron oxide into workable iron. This technique has been used in steel forging for centuries, and it’s very much like what we would have seen in the creation of the first Dan Dao.

While not all of the Man at Arms techniques date back to the early iron age, watching the team role their steel through a 19th century press is undeniably satisfying.

Hand-cut dragon inlays, a traditional paracord tang-wrap, and hours of finessed polishing rounded off a blade composed of several hundred thousand layers – the first true historical build the team has taken on.

Even with modern machinery, this recreation took days of collaboration, but fine craftsmanship was an ideal held close by early Chinese swordsmiths. In fact, back in the ’60s, archeologists discovered a sword deep in the underbelly of a Chinese tomb that, despite being about 2,000 years old, was still etched and sharp enough to draw blood. The so-called sword of Goujian is made of bronze, and while the ductile alloy wouldn’t hold up against steel, the piece is a testament to the skill coming out of bronze and iron-age China. It was this attention to detail that the team hoped to honor.

“For being our first build with no modern tie-ins, we’re really proud of this one,” they say.

Images: AWE me/YouTube

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Anyone know of discovered deer horn knives? Ancient dimensions of the blades?

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Deer Horns

We ran an antique set of Deer Horn Knives in our MAR+APR 2009 Featured Weapon column. The dimensions were given in that feature, however as described in that article, they may not have been that old.