Study On Iron Agricultural Tools In Central Plains During The Western Han Dynasty

Iron agricultural tools have gradually become the mainstream tool of agricultural production since the middle of the Warring States period.During the Western Han Dynasty,China’s agriculture developed rapidly,which is an important stage of the evolution and increase of the materials and types of agricultural tools.It has rapidly enriched the connotation of agricultural civilization and laid the foundation of China’s traditional agriculture.Under the feudal rule,the Central Plains had a large population and developed commerce,and its development took precedence over other places.The government of the Western Han Dynasty emphasized agriculture and restrained commerce,and vigorously promoted iron agricultural tools.Under the implementation of the policy,the wide use of iron agricultural tools improved the agricultural production efficiency.Iron agricultural tools were first widely used in the Central Plains,and were popularized in the middle of the Western Han Dynasty.In the late Western Han Dynasty,iron agricultural tools were popularized in the surrounding areas.Iron plow cattle farming technology was popularized in the middle and late Western Han Dynasty in the Central Plains,and in the surrounding areas,it was popularized in the Eastern Han Dynasty.Firstly,clarify the research object and scope of the article,and explain the relevant concepts.The iron agricultural tools discovered in archaeology are the main research object,and the Central Plains in the Western Han Dynasty is the main research period and area.Secondly,by combing the iron agricultural tools unearthed in archaeology,this paper analyzes and compares the unearthed situation of iron agricultural tools in four aspects: cellar,iron smelting site,general site and tomb,and objectively analyzes the different unearthed positions,actual functions and use of iron agricultural tools in the ruins.The most important thing is to study the archaeological typology according to the agricultural production process and actual use,and according to the plane shape and other factors,which are generally divided into four categories: Land Reclamation tools,primary tillage tools,intermediate tillage tools and harvesting tools.Since the primary tillage tools were the most diverse in the iron tools system in the Western Han Dynasty,the primary tillage tools are divided into soil lifting tools,soil crushing tools and sowing tools,Then it discusses the staging of iron agricultural tools in the Central Plains during the Western Han Dynasty.Finally,combined with archaeological discoveries and historical records,this paper studies the related problems of iron agricultural tools in the Western Han Dynasty.It includes analyzing the concrete manifestation of farmers’ use of iron agricultural tools in the portrait brick,so as to combine the iron plow and cattle farming with the small-scale peasant economy of intensive farming to treat the links of agricultural production;During the Western Han Dynasty,due to the different types of agriculture caused by political factors and climate environment,the use of iron agricultural tools between regions showed the characteristics of imbalance and synchronization,and the shape was gradually unified under the influence of salt and iron official camp;Iron farm tools are gradually complete,forming a complete set of agricultural production process,and become a link connecting the four strata of scholars,farmers,industry and commerce.In recent years,with the vigorous development of Archaeology in China,the remains of the Western Han Dynasty in the central plains are rich,and the excavation of iron agricultural tools has been paid more and more attention.Detailed archaeological materials lay the foundation for the study of the material culture of the Western Han Dynasty,and are of great significance to the study of the national economy of the Western Han Dynasty.Under the promotion of the government,the advanced iron agricultural tools in the Central Plains radiated to the surrounding areas,improved social productivity,narrowed the regional gap,and made great contributions to the unified feudal society of the Western Han Dynasty.