Crossbow, Han to Six Dynasties (206 BCE-589 CE)-China Archive

Image Number:C1A000148N000000000PAB
Dynamy:Han dynasty
Category:Bronzes
Function:Weapon
Material:Mineral/metal/bronze
Description:
Guo (the main body of the crossbow machine) is narrow in front and wide in back, forming a “convex” shape, There is an arrow slot on the top of the outline, and “teeth” are installed in the outline to hook the strings. The tall “Wangshan” is used as the sight, with silver scale on it. The “hanging knife” acts as the trigger for launching. It moves with the “tooth”. When the “hanging knife” pulls back, the “tooth” retracts, and the string loosens and the arrow flies. Compared with the traditional bow, the crossbow can improve the accuracy and increase the range by using the crossbow machine to stretch the bow in advance, becoming one of the main weapons of the ancient infantry. Guo crossbow machine appeared at the end of the Warring States Period, and most of them had Guo since the Han Dynasty. This crossbow machine was collected by Ronggeng in ancient times, and the “Golden Record of Praise to Zhai and Good Luck” was the “father”