With the discovery of the terra cotta army the grandeur and magnificence of the forces of Emperor Qin came to light. Each figurine was armed with a bronze weapon of that period. Over 10,000 bronze weapons have been excavated so far from the site. These include swords, daggers, billhooks, spears, halberds, axes, crossbow triggers, and arrowheads.
The
amazing bronze weapons reveal the dynamic metallurgical attainments of
Qin. The weapons were cast and modeled to a standard shape and then were
filed, chiseled, drilled and polished to have sharp blade, shiny luster
and subtlety. A bronze sword unearthed had two symmetrical blades and
from the handle to the end, gradually became narrower and thinner. It
was technically highly advanced for that period.
Excavated materials also demonstrate that the production of alloys was highly scientific. The hardness and tenacity of the metals were determined by the proportion of the copper to tin in the alloys that were used to make a weapon. Copper was appropriately proportioned with 11 other elements such as nickel, magnesium, cobalt, and chrome. It coincides with an ancient book, which records the precise proportions of copper and tin for six kinds of bronze ware. For instance, an arrowhead contained a poisonous percentage of lead for greater killing power. It shows that during the Qin dynasty, people, through careful practice and detailed research, had established considerable scientific standards for metal production.
A typical weapon is called a "Pi" this is a double-bladed spear, which has the longest shaft. That and the halberd give rise to most visitors' interest. The head of "Pi" was quite similar to a sword. This gave rise to the misconception that "Pi" was a short sword. The shaft, which was longer than that of a spear, was tightly wound with thread, lacquered and decorated with red lines.
"Shu", a metal-headed wooden or bamboo club with a tapering tail was unearthed in the Pit 3 and it was assumed that honor guards used it to safeguard the emperor. Its head was either round, square or erose for offensive purpose.
While with the fade of the war chariots, the "Shu" gradually play a role merely in art of attack and defense. Inscriptions recording the names of craftsmen have been founded on battle-axes and "Pi".