The Origin and Development of Yuhuangmiao Bronze Daggers

Abstract

One type of swords with an adorned guard is a bronze dagger that uses Taotie patterns on the guard; these are called Qin-style swords or Qin’s daggers, depending on the researcher. Although early research on swords with adorned guards and Qin’s daggers were split into the northern nomadic culture and Central Plain culture, researchers came to realize that both types originated from the same type of sword. Considering that Yu Village M1 and Xiguan Village M1, which belong to the earliest period of China’s territory, show strong elements of northern nomadic culture, and comparing them with artifacts excavated from the central area of Altay and Minusinsk, this author determined that these bronze daggers originated from northern nomadic culture and named them “nomad-originated swords with adorned guards.” Nomad-originated swords with an adorned guard were introduced into Qin Culture and Yuhuangmiao Culture during the Spring and Autumn period, and this author named those introduced into Qin Culture “Qin-originated swords with the adorned guard.” In addition, swords with adorned guards introduced into Yuhuangmiao Culture and those introduced into Kingdom Zhongshan from previous studies were named “Yuhuangmiaooriginated swords with the adorned guard” and “Kingdom Zhongshan-originated swords with the adorned guard,” respectively. Yuhuangmiao-originated swords with an adorned guard that were first produced in the mid- Spring and Autumn period, which began to form Yuhuangmiao Culture, were affected by various other cultures, and made into new types of swords in combination with different cultural elements. An analysis focusing on the origin of Yuhuangmiao-originated swords with adorned guards confirmed that nomad-originated swords with adorned guards were divided into Qin-originated swords with adorned guards and Yuhuangmiao-originated swords with adorned guards, and there was a trend of a tradition that continued through Yuhuangmiao Culture and Kingdom Zhongshan.