Do you know how to distinguish between friend and foe in ancient wars?
In the ancient billowing smoke and sword shadows, after a battle, how can the enemy and us accurately distinguish between the enemy and the enemy on the chaotic battlefield to ensure that their brothers are not cut down on the spot by the "pig teammates"?
Ancient armies made elaborate designs in clothing, generally with their own military flags, military emblems and specific clothing colors. For example, the black-clothed armor of the Qin army during the Warring States Period, at a glance, it was dark, and at a glance, you could tell that it was sent by the Qin boss. Not only that, but the patterns and colors on the flag are also highly recognizable, just like a modern logo, so that friendly troops from a distance can recognize their own person.
On the ancient battlefield, the arrangement of formations was also an important means of identifying friend and foe. Such as the Bagua Array, the Fish Scale Array, the Goose Array, etc., each formation has a specific arrangement and movement rules, and their brothers follow the command to line up in formation, even in the chaotic battle, they can maintain the formation, echo each other, and easily see which are the "impostors" who cut the queue without authorization.
On the battlefield in ancient times, passwords and gestures were also indispensable tools for distinguishing friend from foe. Think about it, there was a sudden phrase on the battlefield "Sesame opens the door", the soldiers immediately stopped, and then the other party responded "Watermelon shut up", this song and harmony, it was confirmed that it was their own brothers. As for gestures, there are even more of them, waving and nodding their heads, like playing a silent game of "rock-paper-scissors", and only those who know the rules know the mystery.
In addition, there are some special symbols, such as the "Tiger Fu" of the Han Dynasty, the token of the Song Dynasty, etc., which are important documents for the movement of troops and the transmission of orders. Those who hold the corresponding tokens are naturally their own brothers. In addition, some armies will also use specific musical instrument sounds or shouts to dispatch and communicate, such as the sound of golden drums and whistles, which have become unique "identity cards" on the battlefield.