| Shang and Zhou Dynasties were the representative periods of the Bronze Age inChina, during which time Bronze tomahawk went into its golden age of developmentin history, with the period from the late Shang dynasty to the early Zhou dynasty asthe peak. The golden age witnessed the prosperity of Bronze tomahawk into anunprecedented height in shape, size, quantity, workmanship and emblazonry.The roleand influence of unusual shaped bronze tomahawk at that time were of epoch-makingsignificance. Studies to date focused on the analysis of the parts, regions and types ofunusual shaped bronze tomahawk. Borrowing the studies of some other scholars, thisessay conducts an systematic exploratory analysis of unusual shaped bronzetomahawk in Shang and Zhou dynasties, combining together all that have been gainedfrom documentary literature, archaeological reports, museums-visiting, and personalinvestigations into unusual shaped bronze tomahawk. Specifically speaking, the studyincludes the following contents: the evolvement, development and distribution ofunusual shaped bronze tomahawk in Shang and Zhou dynasties; the function ofunusual shaped bronze tomahawk; the categorization of Bronze tomahawk into fourtypes(the asymmetrical tomahawk，the ligulate tomahawk, the dolabriform tomahawkwith a hole, and the semicircle knife edge tomahawk) according to the shapes ofunusual shaped bronze tomahawk; and a systematic analysis of the influence ofBronze tomahawk in Central Plains on the surrounding areas(northern areas,northwestern areas, Bashu areas, southwestern and southern areas, the middle andlower reaches of the Yangtze River,the lower reaches of the Yellow River). |
