{"id":104737,"date":"2025-01-13T06:38:07","date_gmt":"2025-01-13T05:38:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/?p=104737"},"modified":"2025-01-13T06:43:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-13T05:43:06","slug":"china-oldest-swords","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/blog\/china-oldest-swords\/","title":{"rendered":"The Oldest Swords of Ancient China: Their Development and Use in Warfare"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-toc-block\" id=\"rank-math-toc\"><p>Table of Contents<\/p><nav><ul><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#chronology-of-major-developments\">Chronology of Major Developments<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#shang-dynasty-1600-1045-bc-and-western-zhou-period-1045-771-bc\">Shang Dynasty &amp; Western Zhou Period<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#spring-and-autumn-period-771-481-bc\">Spring and Autumn Period<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#warring-states-period-475-221-bc-and-qin-dynasty-221-206-bc\">Warring States Period &amp; Qin Dynasty<\/a><\/li><li class=\"\"><a href=\"#han-dynasty-206-bc-220-ad\">Han Dynasty<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>From little more than daggers to the famed ring-pommel sword, this article looks at the first thousand years of the ancient Chinese sword from its first appearance around 1000 BC, during the Bronze Age.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are <a href=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/blog\/dai-vs-jian-swords\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/blog\/dai-vs-jian-swords\/\">two main types of Chinese swords<\/a> discussed in this article, the <em>jian <\/em>and the <em>dao<\/em>. In short, <em>jian<\/em> have a straight, double-edged blade, whereas <em>dao <\/em>have a single-edged, curved blade (Yun, 2009, p. 3). Both types appeared throughout the early history of Chinese swords, although preference for one or the other varied depending on developments in metallurgy and military strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"chronology-of-major-developments\">Chronology of Major Developments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th><strong>Period<\/strong><\/th><th><strong>Major Developments<\/strong><\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Shang Dynasty (1600-1045 BC)<\/td><td>The earliest bronze short <em>dao<\/em> was developed<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Western Zhou&nbsp; (1045-771 BC)<\/td><td>The earliest bronze short <em>jian<\/em> was developed<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Spring and Autumn Period (771-481 BC)<\/td><td>Medium-length bronze <em>jian <\/em>became primary weapons<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Warring States and Qin Dynasty (475-206 BC)<\/td><td>Long iron <em>jian <\/em>replaced bronze <em>jian<\/em><\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Han Dynasty (206 BC &#8211; 220 AD)<\/td><td>Long iron <em>dao<\/em><em> <\/em>became the preferred weapon of both cavalry and infantry<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"shang-dynasty-1600-1045-bc-and-western-zhou-period-1045-771-bc\">Shang Dynasty (1600 &#8211; 1045 BC) and Western Zhou Period (1045 &#8211; 771 BC)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In ancient times, the earliest swords in China were short and made of bronze; little more than daggers. In Chinese history, the earliest known <em>dao<\/em><em> <\/em>dates to the Shang Dynasty and was 11.8 to 19.7 inches (30 to 50 cm) long. Since their curved blade was hard to cast in bronze longer than this, they remained short until the development of iron swords much later (Yun, 2009, p. 3-4).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"480\" data-src=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/A-Shang-Dynasty-bronze-dao.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104742 lazyload\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 600\/480;object-fit:cover\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A Shang Dynasty bronze dao, with ibex-head handle, 32cm long &#8211; Credits: Bonhams<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The earliest <em>jian <\/em>swords were known as d<em>uan jian<\/em>. These short swords appeared during the Western Zhou period (1045 &#8211; 771 BC) (Lorge, 2012, p. 36).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"spring-and-autumn-period-771-481-bc\">Spring and Autumn Period (771 &#8211; 481 BC)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>At the beginning of the Spring and Autumn period, d<em>uan jian<\/em> measured 11 to 18.1 inches (28 to 46 cm) long and would likely have been used for hand-to-hand fighting, as a secondary weapon when the enemy came too close to use a spear or dagger-ax, which were the most common primary weapons of the period (Lorge, 2012, p. 36).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"261\" data-src=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/A-Spring-and-Autumn-Period-bronze-jian.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104743 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/A-Spring-and-Autumn-Period-bronze-jian.jpg 900w, https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/A-Spring-and-Autumn-Period-bronze-jian-740x215.jpg 740w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 900px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 900\/261;\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A Spring and Autumn Period bronze jian, 47cm long &#8211; Credits: Bonhams<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By the end of the Spring and Autumn period,<em> <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/category\/chinese-jian-swords\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/category\/chinese-jian-swords\/\"><em>jian<\/em> swords<\/a> had increased in length to about 21.65 inches (55cm). At this point, swords also began to replace dagger-axes as a primary weapon and were no longer a last resort (Lorge, 2012, p. 36).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The above developments may have been the result of a stronger focus on infantry martial-arts in Southern China. As a result, there is a slow development towards point-fighting in swordsmanship, employing stabbing techniques as opposed to edge-fighting slashing techniques (Lorge, 2012, p. 36).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This also might indicate a development of martial-arts towards close-formation infantry combat and away from looser infantry and cavalry skirmishes. This can be paralleled in a Western context with the adoption of the gladius, primarily a stabbing weapon, by the Roman army as their fighting formations became tighter and more disciplined.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"610\" height=\"600\" data-src=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/A-warrior-armed-with-a-jian.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104744 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/A-warrior-armed-with-a-jian.png 610w, https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/A-warrior-armed-with-a-jian-70x70.png 70w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 610px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 610\/600;\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>A warrior armed with a jian presses the fight to close-quarters to gain advantage against the spear, which becomes unwieldy &#8211; Credits: Soldiers of the Dragon: Chinese Armies 1500 BC &#8211; AD 1840<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>A historical example of this development towards close-quarters fighting is illustrated in a battle between the Ch\u2019i and Hua in 520 BC. The Ch\u2019i army discarded their pole weapons, and their infantry charged the Hua with just their swords. This strategy showed the eagerness of the Ch\u2019i to engage in close, hand-to-hand combat. This eagerness so alarmed the Hua, that they turned and ran! (Peers, 2006, p. 31)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The incredible skill of ancient Chinese swordsmiths can be seen in some bronze swords from the Spring and Autumn Period. The sword of Goujian, made for King Goujian of Yue exemplifies perhaps the pinnacle of Chinese metallurgy at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"599\" data-src=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-legendary-sword-of-Goujian.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104745 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-legendary-sword-of-Goujian.jpg 900w, https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/The-legendary-sword-of-Goujian-740x493.jpg 740w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 900px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 900\/599;\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>The legendary sword of Goujian<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The edges of the blade are made of a high-tin bronze, which is hard and can be sharpened to a razor-edge. However, if the entire blade was made like this, the sword would be far too brittle, so the swordsmiths made the core of the blade with a high copper content, increasing its flexibility (Jueming, 2023, p. 539-40).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Further illustrating the swordsmith\u2019s prowess, the blade was treated with sulfide which prevented corrosion, not to mention the beautiful decoration, with inlaid blue crystals and gold (Lorge, 2012, p. 36). It is currently housed at the Hubei Provincial Museum in the Wuchang District of Wuhan, Hubei Province.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also during the Spring and Autumn period, new metallurgy techniques brought about the production of iron and steel. The first iron and steel swords appeared towards the end of this period, but remained rare (Lorge, 2012, p. 37).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"warring-states-period-475-221-bc-and-qin-dynasty-221-206-bc\">Warring States Period (475-221 BC) and Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Throughout the Warring States period (476-221 BC), the use of iron and steel swords became more common. Since iron could be forged into longer swords without the blade becoming weak, <em>jian <\/em>swords increased in length to 31.5 to 39.4 inches (80-100 cm) during the Warring States period (Lorge 2012, p. 37), up to 43.3 inches (110cm) by the Qing dynasty (Peers, 2006, p. 44).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The increased reach of a warrior using an iron sword gave him an advantage over those using shorter bronze swords and so, iron swords began to replace bronze swords during the Qin dynasty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The strength of iron also enabled the forging of longer curved swords, resulting in the return of the <em><a href=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/category\/chinese-dao-swords\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/category\/chinese-dao-swords\/\">dao<\/a>. <\/em>With its long curved blade and single edge, the iron <em>dao <\/em>now lent itself to use on horseback with a downward chopping and slashing motion, resulting in its adoption by cavalry soldiers. (Yun, 2009, p. 5)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"han-dynasty-206-bc-220-ad\">Han Dynasty (206 BC &#8211; 220 AD)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Han Dynasty swords remained a similar length to those of the Qin Dynasty, between 31.5 to 47.2 inches (80 to 120 cm), although improvements in metallurgy enabled advancements in the quality of sword steel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iron was folded many times, often between 30 and 50 times, but sometimes more during forging to remove impurities and add carbon to create steel which could be quench-hardened. The folded iron produced beautiful patterns in the polished sword blade, which gave a measure of the sword\u2019s quality. The more folds, the higher quality the iron, and therefore the stronger the blade. (Yun, 2009, p. 6-7)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While <em>jian <\/em>were still in regular use during the Han Dynasty, the <em>dao<\/em><em> <\/em>grew in popularity. The <em>dao<\/em><em>\u2019s<\/em> use as a cavalry weapon associated it with elite status and the well-known <em>dao<\/em><em> <\/em>ring-pommel was developed during this period; a mark of the prestige and status of the bearer. (Yun, 2009, p. 5-6) (Lorge, 2012, p. 60-70).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>dao<\/em>\u2019s association with elite status may have played a significant part<em> <\/em>in its adoption by Chinese infantry, used with a shorter 31.5 inches (80 cm) blade and paired with a shield, in preference over the <em>jian<\/em>. A further reason for this may have been the durability of the <em>dao<\/em><em> <\/em>blade, with its thicker spine adding strength which the double-edged <em>jian <\/em>did not possess (Lorge, 2012, p. 60-70).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"384\" data-src=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Three-Han-Dynasty-iron-dao-swords-1024x384.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104746 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Three-Han-Dynasty-iron-dao-swords-1024x384.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Three-Han-Dynasty-iron-dao-swords-740x278.jpg 740w, https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Three-Han-Dynasty-iron-dao-swords.jpg 1200w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 1024px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 1024\/384;\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Three Han Dynasty iron dao swords, with characteristic ring-pommels &#8211; Credits: The Complete Taiji Dao<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>From a last resort, to the foremost weapon of the elites, the rise of the sword in ancient China illustrates not only the fervour and ever-increasing skill of the Chinese swordsmiths, but also the profound link between weapon development and the evolution of Chinese martial arts.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"accordion accordion-sources article-slide \"><div class=\"faq-item accordion__item\"><h5 class=\"faq-item__heading accordion__handler\">Sources Cited<span class=\"faq-item__opener faq-item__opener--dark\"><\/span><\/h5><div class=\"faq-item__content accordion__slide content-area\"><ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jueming, H., Jinsong, L., Lianhai W. (2023). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com.ph\/books?id=qdSkEAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA934&amp;dq=Chinese+Handicrafts.+Springer+Nature+Singapore&amp;hl=en&amp;newbks=1&amp;newbks_redir=1&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjqn7Oz_PGKAxW4j68BHaFoJuUQ6AF6BAgGEAI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chinese<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Handicrafts<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Springer Nature <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Singapore<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lorge, P. (2012). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=Nzjv0uPqUyMC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=Chinese+Martial+Arts+From+Antiquity+to+the+Twenty-First+Century&amp;hl=en&amp;newbks=1&amp;newbks_redir=1&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjglsO-_PGKAxUfdfUHHV4_EkwQ6AF6BAgJEAI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chinese<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Martial Arts<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Cambridge University Press.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Peers, CJ. (2006). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=0LwvvgAACAAJ&amp;dq=Soldiers+of+the+Dragon:+Chinese+Armies+1500+BC+-+AD+1840&amp;hl=en&amp;newbks=1&amp;newbks_redir=1&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi7-qvE_PGKAxWRdfUHHegaEpgQ6AF6BAgFEAI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soldiers of the Dragon: <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chinese<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Armies 1500 BC &#8211; AD 1840<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Osprey Publishing.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wagner, D. (1993). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=mxZsguBzwZMC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=Iron+and+Steel+in+Ancient+China&amp;hl=en&amp;newbks=1&amp;newbks_redir=1&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiM1orL_PGKAxXwoK8BHWiIJE8Q6AF6BAgIEAI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iron and Steel in <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ancient China<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. E.J. Brill.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yun, S. (2009). <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com.ph\/books?id=eQjLjqo774QC&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;dq=The+Complete+Taiji+Dao:+The+Art+of+the+Chinese+Saber&amp;hl=en&amp;newbks=1&amp;newbks_redir=1&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjdu6_T_PGKAxVAYvUHHcRBCMIQ6AF6BAgHEAI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Complete Taiji <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dao<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Art of the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chinese<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Saber<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. North Atlantic Books.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From little more than daggers to the famed ring-pommel sword, this article looks at the first thousand years of the ancient Chinese sword from its first appearance around 1000 BC, during the Bronze Age.&nbsp; There are two main types of Chinese swords discussed in this article, the jian and the dao. In short, jian have&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":104747,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":{"2":"type-post","6":"hentry"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104737"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":104750,"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/104737\/revisions\/104750"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/104747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=104737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swordis.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}