Thedagger-axe (Chinese:戈;pinyin:gē;Wade–Giles:ko) is a type ofpolearm that was in use from theLongshan culture until theHan dynasty in China.[1] It consists of adagger-shaped blade, mounted by itstang to a perpendicular woodenshaft. The earliest dagger-axe blades were made of stone. Later versions used bronze.Jade versions were also made for ceremonial use. There is a variant type with a divided two-part head, consisting of the usual straight blade and ascythe-like blade.
The dagger-axe was the first weapon in Chinese history that was not also a dual-use tool for hunting (such as thebow and arrow) or agriculture. Lacking a point for thrusting, the dagger-axe was used in the open where there was enough room to swing its long shaft. Its appearance on the Chinese battlefield predated the use ofchariots and the later dominance of tightly packedinfantry formations.
During theZhou dynasty, theji or Chinesehalberd gradually became more common on the battlefield. Theji was developed from the dagger-axe by adding a spear head to the top of the shaft, thereby enabling the weapon to be used with a thrusting motion as well as a swinging motion. Later versions of theji, starting in theSpring and Autumn period, combined the dagger-axe blade and spear head into a single piece.
By theHan dynasty, the more versatileji had completely replaced the dagger-axe as a standard infantry weapon.[2] Theji was later replaced by the spear as the primary polearm of the Chinese military. By theWarring States period, large masses of infantry fighting in close ranks using the spear orji had displaced the small groups of aristocrats on foot or mounted in chariots who had previously dominated the battlefield.[3]
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