Research Of Tangut Farm Tools

Tangut’s farm tools were divided into reclamation tools、sowing tools、plantation tools、 harvest tools and grain processing tools. Reclamation tools included colter、moldboard、hoe and spade. Sowing tools included an animal drawn seed plough. Plantation tools included iron hoe and iron shovel. Reaping tools included iron sickle. Grain processing tools included pestle mortar、 stone roller、reef、grind、roller、dustpan、wooden bifurcation and wooden shovel.The form of Tangut’s colter was similar to the form of Song dynasty’s and Liao dynasty’s. It not only reflected the improvement of farming tools, but also represented the economic and cultural exchange during this period. For the need of deep tillage, Tangut’s plough generally used the moldboard. It represents Tangut’s culture was a type of refined deep plough, not a type of extensive plough. Tangut’s hoe was not only used in the farmland,but also was regarded as an essential kind of tool that used to dig trenches and to build fortifications.The animal drawn speed plough was regarded as the most advanced farming tool of Tangut. It only needed one farmer to finish the procedure of driving the cow, trenching, sowing and covering the soil. It saved the labor force, improved the efficiency of work and generally administered the depth and amount of sowing.The main function of iron hoe and iron spade was to kill the weed and loosen the soil. On one hand, it killed the weed of field, on the other hand, it prevented the earth’s surface from water flooding that might lead to the problem of hardening the earth. The forms of Tangut’s hoe and spade were similar to Central China’s. In addition to the size of Tangut’s sickle, it’s form was similar to the period that from Western Han Dynasty’s to Song Dynasty’s and Yuan’s dynasty.Tools that used to thresh grain and winnow grain of Tangut were similar to Central China’s. These tools of Tangut were not completely inherited from Song Dynasty. They are used as tools according to the natural environment and needs. Tangut’s people chose farm tools according to their special functions. Fore example, they preferred the stone roller to the flail.Tangut’s food processing tools included iron pestle mortar, stone mill, stone pestle and grinds-stone. The iron pestle mortar, stone pestle and grinds-stone are peeling tools, the stone mill is a kind of tool that used to process flour.No matter the kind and the form of Tangut, the types of culture in northwest areas belonged to the types of refined plough that had included the procedure of farming, sowing, weed-killing, reaping and rolling, not the type of extensive plough.