Copper spear - Please

A bronze weapon with a blade attached at a right angle to the handle. It appeared in China during the Yin dynasty, and continued to be produced as a practical weapon until the end of the Warring States period, changing in shape to become sharper. Around the 2nd century BC, weapons with a different shape to Chinese halberds began to be produced in Korea, and some of these were imported to Japan. In Japan, a small number of bronze halberds were produced in northern Kyushu during the late early to early middle Yayoi period, but the tradition was discontinued, and production began again from the middle of the middle Yayoi period onwards. The center of bronze halberd production was northern Kyushu, and bronze halberds used as ritual vessels gradually became larger and were produced in large quantities. A group of 48 bronze halberds was discovered in Haramachi, Kasuga City, Fukuoka Prefecture. Osaka Bay-type bronze halberds, which have different characteristics from Kyushu bronze halberds, are found in the Kinki region. In Sakuragaoka, Kobe, seven Osaka Bay-type bronze spears were discovered along with 14 bronze bells.

[Koichi Tamura]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

柄(え)に対し直角方向に刃を装着した青銅製の武器。中国では殷(いん)代に出現し、実用の武器として、鋭利な方向へと形態上の変化をみせながら、戦国末まで継続して製作された。紀元前2世紀ころ、中国の戈と形態の異なったものが朝鮮で製作され始め、その一部は日本にも舶載された。日本でも弥生(やよい)時代前期末～中期初に少数の銅戈が北部九州で製作されたが、その伝統は中断され、弥生時代中期中ごろ以後ふたたび生産され始めた。銅戈製造の中心地は北部九州で、祭器としての銅戈はしだいに大形化し、大量に製作された。福岡県春日(かすが)市原町では48本の銅戈が一括して発見された。近畿地方では九州の銅戈と異なった特徴をもつ大阪湾型銅戈が分布している。神戸市桜ヶ丘では7本の大阪湾型銅戈が14個の銅鐸(どうたく)といっしょに発見された。

［田村晃一］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例