Can an ancient military general lift dozens of pounds of weapons? Artifacts reveal the truth
In the ancestral hall of the Xiang family in Suqian, Jiangsu, there is a weapon called "Overlord Halberd" on display, which is said to be the ** used by Xiang Yu back then. Xiang Yu is known for his great strength, and the weight of this weapon has reached an astonishing 130 catties, which makes people wonder if modern humans are really not as strong as ancient people.
However, this weight may be exaggerated due to the fact that the ancient unit of weight differs from the modern unit of weight.
This weapon is converted according to the weight unit of the Qin and Han dynasties, which is about 30 kilograms, which is equivalent to about 60 kilograms. However, it is not easy to just hold it in your hand, not to mention that ancient generals often need to fight continuously, sometimes even for a whole day.
So, did the ancient generals really have the ability to fight for a long time with weapons weighing dozens of catties?
Descriptions of ancient warfare tend to be relatively simple in literature and film, limited to a few sentences or a chapter or two. However, the actual course of ancient warfare was much more complex.
Before the start of the war, both sides need to prepare food, grass and other supplies for a long time, while at the same time formulating troop deployments, sending reconnaissance troops, and conducting small-scale explorations. When everything is ready, the two sides will open up a formation to fight.
Due to the limited communication capabilities in ancient times, the commander had to report back and forth on the battlefield through the scouts, so that orders were conveyed from the general to the captain, to the captain, and finally to each soldier, which took a lot of time.
The beginning of a campaign is only a prologue, and both sides will constantly adjust their strategies, look for each other's weaknesses, and once they find weaknesses, launch a full-scale attack. They engage in multiple skirmishes before finding their flaws, resulting in a campaign that can last for days, months, or even years.
However, neither side will devote all their forces to the battle until the general offensive begins, unless the battle is very intense. In general, half a day to a day can end the battle, after all, soldiers are not machines, they need to rest, eat and go to the toilet.
For those battles that continue to fight for days or even weeks, how can a military general continue to fight with a ** weighing dozens of pounds?
Among the weapons of antiquity,"Eighteen weapons"The most well-known. The heaviest of these weapons is the hammer, followed by a long knife or iron rod. In literary works, the weight of ancient weapons is often exaggerated, such as Li Yuanba's 800 catties of iron hammers, Qin Qiong's 130 catties of double hammers, and the weapons in the hands of Guan Yu of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin Guan Sheng are also more than 80 catties.
However, a review of the canonical history will reveal that many weapons in ancient times were also very heavy. The weight of weapons in various dynasties in history has always been around 30 catties, and some even reached hundreds of catties.
For example, it is recorded in "Green Phosphorus Chips" that the iron rod in the hand of the Ming Dynasty general Gao Jie weighed 18 catties, and in the "History of the Song Dynasty: The Biography of Yue Yun", it is recorded that the weight of the two iron hammers in Yue Yun's hands reached 80 catties.
It should be noted that the weight unit of the Song Dynasty was heavier than it is now, and 80 catties is equivalent to about 100 catties now. In general, the weight of ancient weapons is not as exaggerated as it is stated in literature, but it is still very heavy.
Among the weapons of Wu Sangui, the king of Pingnan in the Qing Dynasty, a Daguan knife similar to the Qinglong Yanyue knife attracted much attention. According to the foreign historian Wei Feide recorded in the book "Hongye", this Daguan knife weighs 32 catties and is one of Wu Sangui's favorite **.
However, after the defeat of Wu Sangui, the iron long handle of the Daguan knife was broken and later replaced with a wooden long handle. Today, this Daguan knife is displayed in the exhibition hall of the gold store of Kunming Taihe Palace, and although it has been replaced with a wooden long handle, its weight still reaches 12 catties.
From the point of view of historical records, ancient weapons are indeed very heavy, but this does not mean that modern humans have degenerated. This can be confirmed by the unearthed ancient artifacts, because the real objects cannot lie, and the written records have a certain subjectivity.
From the archaeological discoveries of ancient **, we can see that the weight of these weapons is generally about one catty. Take the Yue Wang Goujian Sword as an example, this short and concise sword weighs only one catty, although it is a decorative saber, but it does not have much actual combat value.
However, the gold and silver sword was very common during the Tang Dynasty and weighed only one catty. And another unearthed in Ningxia Northern Zhou hussar general Li Xian commonly used the ring-headed iron knife, although only 21 catty, but this knife carries Li Xian's lifelong combat experience, it is not only a symbol of his identity, but also a sharp weapon for him to save his life on the battlefield.
The ancient weapons are not heavy, except for the unearthed seven famous swords, all kinds of broadswords and whips, maces, hammers and other weapons, the weight is between 1-5 catties. The Daguan knife of the overlord halberd and Wu Sangui may not be an actual combat weapon, but a device used to practice arm strength, which is recorded in the Ming Dynasty's "Wubei Zhi".
The Ming Dynasty barracks had some very heavy weapons in the school yard, which were specially designed to train the arm strength of soldiers and officers. Therefore, the ancient generals fought for a long time in their hands and did not feel particularly tired.