A bird's-eye view of the ruins of Beiting city in Jimsar county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.[Photo provided to China Daily]
But innovations were made in the development of weapons. People of the Erlitou Culture from the 18th to 16th century BC pioneered the use of bronze weapons in China, which were modeled on those made from stone, marking a milestone in the choice of materials and production techniques.
The Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC) was an era for rapid development of bronze weapons. In the late Shang period, with the techniques of making weapons no longer a secret, people in many places started to make weapons by themselves, instead of only relying on supplies from the Shang capital. This is supported by the large number of bronze weapons from that period unearthed at sites in different areas.
"During the Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-256 BC), the use of bronze weapons became more and more common and widespread, and techniques were improved when people used alloys of iron and bronze, and gold and iron to make weapons. That reflects the creativity of the Zhou people," says Guo.
Weapons were often viewed as a symbol of war, and the Chinese people's eagerness for peace can be shown in their habit of destroying weapons.
Deliberately broken bronze weapons unearthed from the Erlitou site in Luoyang, Henan province, reveal the phenomenon of destroying weapons at the time. Similar findings have also been made at sites from the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
