Ge (Chinese Dagger-Axe)

The ge, or dagger-axe, is a Chinese polearm made from a dagger-shaped blade mounted at a right angle to a wooden shaft, first appearing in the Longshan culture and remaining in use through the Han dynasty. It was the first Chinese weapon that was not also a dual-use farming or hunting tool, and because it had no thrusting point it was swung rather than thrust, requiring open ground to use effectively. By the Zhou dynasty it was gradually being supplanted by the more versatile ji, which combined its blade with a spear point, and by the Han dynasty the ji had replaced it entirely as a standard infantry weapon.