A Study Of Discovered Armors And Helmets From Pre-Qin To Han Dynasties

The author researches synthetically into Chinese discovered armors and helmets which were used in antiquity from Pre-Qin(periods before Qin dynasty) to Han dynasties. The article takes armors and helmets as the researching objects, and began with the typological research on human and horse armors and helmets of different phrases in these periods. Then it elucidates and discusses their main traits, disciplinarian and reasons of their development. Eventually, it discusses some correlative matters such as their making and storing ways, being used in reality and funeral rites, their effects on social life, and so on.The whole article has six parts. It begins with introduction and prolegomenon, next come three parts researching into armors and helmets used in periods from Pre-Qin to Han dynasties, concerning their forms, structures and evolvement, and the correlative matters, Aftermost, it is epilogue.The introduction briefly explains the gist of this topic and the significance of researching armors and helmets.The first chapter is prolegomenon. At first, it introduces ancient appellation of armors and helmets and defines the name of this research. Then it summarizes the discovery of armors and helmets. Evently, it is introduction of research situation and points out referenced study theories and methods.Research into their forms and structures is the second chapter. It divides the periods from Pre-Qin to Han dynasties into four phrases: Shang and Western Zhou dynasties, Eastern Zhou dynasties, Qin dynasties and Han dynasties. Sections from the first to fourth are typological researches about their forms and structures, including discovery relics, concerning forms and structures of armors and helmets, armor pieces, making and weaving ways. In addition, it discusses elementarily their colors and decorations. Fifth section which is about horse armor and helmet, analyses constituent parts and pattern of horse armor, then it discusses some correlative matters.Armors and helmets evolvement from Pre-Qin to Han dynasties is a significant part of third chapter. The author analyses the disciplinarian of their development mainly through three aspects: forms and structures of armors and helmets and armor pieces, their making and weaving ways. The first section mainly discusses traits and the change of Zhajia (the shape of plate like a bamboo slip) armor pieces; second one is development of connecting means and weaving ways; third chapter is about the change of armors and helmets, their characteristics, and the advantages of Zhajiaarmor. The fourth section discusses the social economic background of the development of Chinese armors and helmets. Agricultural development provides society with material wealth, and this is social basis of armors and helmets development. The development of industries such as smelting bronze and iron, leather and lacquer, is an important factor which influences the development of armors and helmets. But wars are inherent motilities that give birth to armors and helmets and promote their development, which is restricted and influenced impersonally by change of war manners, army quantity and arms of services.There are some argumentations about correlative matters of armors and helmets in fourth chapter. In the first section ,the author discusses their traits and making ways in different materials, and probes into their making and storing from the point of view of a management regulation. In the second section, he discusses the use of armors and helmets from the point of view of realism. At first, he dissertates their using in army as defended tools from three aspects: equipments of chariots, armour and soldiers. Then he describes their using in honour guard in these periods. In the third section he summarizes the using of armors and helmets and their ramification in funeral, and discusses their used reasons, they are symbols of status when used in funeral. In the fourth section, he discusses the Zijia armor of Qin state in late stage of Warring State period with bamboo slips for writing on found in Qin. He believes that, in fact, Zijia armor is another name of fine, and points out the appearance of this phenomenon is the very expression of its influence on society. It is obvious that armors and helmets played an important role in antiquity.The main researching content is mentioned above. Researching into armors and helmets, pursuers try to combine the development of them with society from the point of macroscopical view, in the meanwhile, they pay attention to factors influencing development of armors and helmets, war manners and advancement of arms, especially, attacking ones.There are few theses about armors and helmets of Pre-Qin to Han dynasties, so we discuss it on the basis of preliminary researches; the more importance is that we put forward new cognition on study methods and patterns. From this research, author has new cognition on the study methods, and carries out in research in the future. So there are characteristic study patterns in researching armors and helmets, and they are effective in practice.