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Dagger-axe Wikipedia

The dagger-axe (zh-tspw|t=戈|s=戈|p=gē|w=ko; sometimes confusingly translated "halberd") is a type of weapon that was in use in Shang dynasty|Shang era China. It consists of a dagger-shaped blade made of jade or bronze, mounted by the "hilt" of the dagger to a perpendicular wooden haft. Normally only the head is found, the haft having long since decayed away to nothing.

Dagger-axes were apparently used in actual combat, but they also seem to have had a strong ritual significance: most of our examples are elaborate ceremonial weapons found in the tombs of aristocrats. They are often found in the coffin itself, where they probably serve as emblems of authority and power. Sometimes they are found in a pit dug beneath the coffin, with a victim who was sacrificed to guard the tomb, where they presumably are intended to keep the spirit-guard armed.

A large portion of the dagger-axes found in tombs are made from jade, and are thus absolutely useless in actual combat. These jade artifacts copy the morphology of the bronze ones, right down to the sharp central ridge which served to reinforce the blade.

Some dagger-axe artifacts are small and curved, probably intended for use as pendants.

Category:M??l??e weapons
Category:Weapons of China

Last Modified:   2005-11-04