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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
BA Lei
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2026.02.008
Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
The axe was one of the tools of production invented in prehistoric times, which played an important role in hunting and production. However, in the Neolithic Age, the size of tribes became much larger. Thus, the fight between humans and nature gradually turned into humans and humans. War, which was a means to fight for resources, developed, and the stone axe gradually appeared on the stage of history as a weapon. As the improvement of technology, the materials used to make axes also changed to copper and iron. The axe, which took shape in later generations, generally consists of four parts: the blade, the socket, the handle, and the ferrule. If we classify it according to the length of the handle, it can be divided into two types: long-handled axes and short-handled axes. The short-handled axe, which has various ways to use, can be wielded either as a pair or single, and it was often used in infantry combats. Although the short-handled axe and the long-handled axe have different functions, their forms and structures are closely related to each other. There were many different cold weapons in Ancient China. However, the axe was never the most impressive type, whether in novels or actual combat. But it was once a symbol of royal power, which was also a pillar of the country. What kind of historical code is hidden behind this huge contrast? This paper aims to reflect the evolution of ancient China’s military, technology, and culture over thousands of years through discussing the changing role and status of the long-handled axe as a weapon in war history, as well as its significance in Chinese martial arts and war culture.
Long-Handle Axe, War History, Classical Chinese Novels, Martial Arts Culture
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