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<p>[QUOTE="AnYangMan, post: 3168194, member: 87271"]Oops <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie10" alt=":oops:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />. My apologies, I made a slight mistake; It should have been ‘pointed’ instead of ‘straight’. That makes a little bit more sense, and was supposed to support the argument of multiple production centres for these early pointed knives. Straight knives are indeed much later in origin.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The image is from a sort of English summary of recent Japanese scholarship on the origin of Chinese coinage. In 2011, two major Japanese works concerning early Chinese numismatics were published by two renowned experts: One by Haruki Emura, a more archaeological take on the subject and one by Yohei Kakinuma, an analysis based more on economical points of view. Subsequently, Kakinuma published this English article in 2014, drawing heavily from his own as well as Emura’s work. If you want the full reference: Kakinuma, Y., 2014. <i>The Emergence and Spread of Coins in China from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period. </i>In<i> Explaining Monetary and Financial Innovation: A historical analysis, </i>pp 79-126.</p><p><br /></p><p>A major recent discovery by Emura for example is a more accurate dating for Ant-nose coinage. Using known historical data of Qin expansion, comparing this to a distribution map of Ant-nose hoards (below) and the fall of certain Chu cities into Qin hands, they estimated that casting of these coins did not commence until the mid-warring state period, giving around 300 BC as a rough date. For example, in <i>Hanzhong</i> 汉中 (a relatively large Chu city) in the archaeological layer dating to the Warring states period, precisely zero ant-nose coins were excavated. From the historical records, we know that this city was conquered by Qin in 312 BC. In 278 BC, both the capital of Chu, <i>Ying </i>郢 (whose exact location sadly has not been located yet), and <i>Yunmeng</i> 云梦 fell into Qin hands. Ant-nose coins were found in significant numbers in the areas surrounding these two sites, as well as in <i>Yunmeng</i> itself. If we take this evidence at face-value, casting must thus have begun somewhere after 312 BC, but before 278 BC. Now I don’t think this definitely proves these late dates (the old ‘absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’ comes to mind), but I do believe this is a valid theory and until I see any further evidence, I see no reason to doubt these dates.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]814646[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I do think that there is some evolution in straight knives as well. As you mention, the reinforced ridge is strongly reminiscent of these earlier pointed knives, but it disappears quickly. The decrease in curvature and the handle, which becomes more and more flimsy over time, seem to also be part of this evolution. Also, note the round ring on the first specimen, but the tiny, almond shaped hole in the top specimen. The interesting thing about these straight knives is that we have two clearly defined production centres (technically seeing, there are at least two other mints, but these are exceptionally rare).</p><p><br /></p><p>Kind regards,</p><p><br /></p><p>Mika</p><p><br /></p><p>Ps. Congrats on the featured article! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="AnYangMan, post: 3168194, member: 87271"]Oops :oops:. My apologies, I made a slight mistake; It should have been ‘pointed’ instead of ‘straight’. That makes a little bit more sense, and was supposed to support the argument of multiple production centres for these early pointed knives. Straight knives are indeed much later in origin. The image is from a sort of English summary of recent Japanese scholarship on the origin of Chinese coinage. In 2011, two major Japanese works concerning early Chinese numismatics were published by two renowned experts: One by Haruki Emura, a more archaeological take on the subject and one by Yohei Kakinuma, an analysis based more on economical points of view. Subsequently, Kakinuma published this English article in 2014, drawing heavily from his own as well as Emura’s work. If you want the full reference: Kakinuma, Y., 2014. [I]The Emergence and Spread of Coins in China from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period. [/I]In[I] Explaining Monetary and Financial Innovation: A historical analysis, [/I]pp 79-126. A major recent discovery by Emura for example is a more accurate dating for Ant-nose coinage. Using known historical data of Qin expansion, comparing this to a distribution map of Ant-nose hoards (below) and the fall of certain Chu cities into Qin hands, they estimated that casting of these coins did not commence until the mid-warring state period, giving around 300 BC as a rough date. For example, in [I]Hanzhong[/I] 汉中 (a relatively large Chu city) in the archaeological layer dating to the Warring states period, precisely zero ant-nose coins were excavated. From the historical records, we know that this city was conquered by Qin in 312 BC. In 278 BC, both the capital of Chu, [I]Ying [/I]郢 (whose exact location sadly has not been located yet), and [I]Yunmeng[/I] 云梦 fell into Qin hands. Ant-nose coins were found in significant numbers in the areas surrounding these two sites, as well as in [I]Yunmeng[/I] itself. If we take this evidence at face-value, casting must thus have begun somewhere after 312 BC, but before 278 BC. Now I don’t think this definitely proves these late dates (the old ‘absence of evidence is not evidence of absence’ comes to mind), but I do believe this is a valid theory and until I see any further evidence, I see no reason to doubt these dates. [ATTACH=full]814646[/ATTACH] I do think that there is some evolution in straight knives as well. As you mention, the reinforced ridge is strongly reminiscent of these earlier pointed knives, but it disappears quickly. The decrease in curvature and the handle, which becomes more and more flimsy over time, seem to also be part of this evolution. Also, note the round ring on the first specimen, but the tiny, almond shaped hole in the top specimen. The interesting thing about these straight knives is that we have two clearly defined production centres (technically seeing, there are at least two other mints, but these are exceptionally rare). Kind regards, Mika Ps. Congrats on the featured article! :)[/QUOTE]
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