寢戈考

Note on the Qinge 寝戈, the Bronze Dagger-axe in Bedchamber

《左傳》所載名物,多有不可識者。本文以出土實物考證《左傳》所載"寢戈"的特點與用途。戈是古代各兵種作戰中常見的進攻型武器,戈的形制根據兵種的不同和實戰的需要而有所不同。《左傳》所載寢戈,屬小型貼身自衛的武器,自然在形制上與徒戈和車戈等實戰用戈有明顯區别。

This is a short article to discuss a special weapon, the Qinge mentioned in Zuozhuan (《左傳》), a famous chronological historiography. This term has not been defined clearly before. Beyond doubt, the Qinge is just a sort of dagger-axe, an attacking weapon made of bronze and very popular in the ancient Chinese warfare; however the Qinge is very different from other types of dagger-axes, such as Tuge and Chege, which infantry or chariot warriors equipped with. Based on the archaeological discoveries, this article focuses on the typological analysis and deciphering inscriptions, bringing the conclusion to the fact that this weapon with short handle is mainly used for self-defense.