CAJ | 학술논문

斧钺作为中国古代政治权力的重要象征，不仅跻身于祭祀或最高赏赐礼遇“九命之锡”的行列，同时也是舆服制度中的重要内容之一。以往学术界已普遍注意到斧钺与“王”字起源乃至王权政治的密切关系^[1]，并分别就史前以及商周时期的斧钺进行过一些专门讨论^[2]，提出了许多有益的见解。
부월작위중국고대정치권력적중요상정，불부제신우제사혹최고상사례우“구명지석”적행렬，동시야시여복제도중적중요내용지일。이왕학술계이보편주의도부월여“왕”자기원내지왕권정치적밀절관계^[1]，병분별취사전이급상주시기적부월진행과일사전문토론^[2]，제출료허다유익적견해。
In ancient China, there were well-developed battle-axes and a strict institution of their use, which became a clear reflection of her originality among the world civilizations of antiquity. These weapons not only played the role of morphologically deriving the character “Wang 王”, but also deeply went into the ritual of political life. Systematic researches on related archaeological data from prehistoric times, the Shang and Zhou periods and later historical ages and comparative studies of them with literal records and ethnographical evidence have forcefully confirmed the value of these implements in ancient social and political life. Their mounting the historical stage of ancient politics was primarily due to their special relationship with ancient warfare. Especially in prehistoric wars, battle-axes were the most effective offensive weapons, the users of which often played a decisive role in close combats, and these weapons were thus taken as attributes of the ruler＇s power and dignity. Jade and other precious stone battle-axes in the Longshan period and bronze ones in the Shang and Zhou periods were morphologically multiple and complex. According to literal records, they can be divided into the types of common battle-axe, yue, qi, and peculiar- shaped battle-axe. The former three may have been named in the light of their size and the proportion of their length to their width, with the wider called yue and the longer, qi. From the Neolithic Age, battle-axes used as funeral objects showed the tendency that the later the time, the less the tombs with battle axes, and these grave goods were increasingly concentrated in a small number of large- and medium-sized tombs, especially in male burials. Textual records and archaeological discoveries at home and abroad evidence that battle-axes not only symbolized monarchical power, but also led to the establishment of their using institution based on the politics operated by monarchical power, in which the presence or absence of battle-axes and their quality, size and arrangement were all concerned with their users＇ status and position. Moreover, they were often deified and used as sacred objects in religious and sacrificial activities or directly taken as implements of the god of war. The ancient Chinese battle-axes using institution rose in prehistoric times, shaped up in the Xia, $hang and Zhou periods, prevailed in the Western Han and Eastern Han periods, and lasted down to Tang and Song times, h was spread to the Korean Peninsula, Japan and other areas of East Asia, exerting wide and profound influence in these regions.