﻿496 
  ANNUAL 
  REPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  194 
  3 
  

  

  Chinese 
  armies 
  in 
  Chou 
  times 
  were 
  divided 
  into 
  an 
  advance 
  guard, 
  

   a 
  center, 
  right 
  and 
  left 
  wings, 
  and 
  a 
  rear 
  guard. 
  Provisions 
  were 
  

   carried 
  in 
  oxcarts 
  and 
  on 
  pack 
  oxen, 
  and 
  consisted 
  largely 
  of 
  dried 
  

   flesh 
  (often 
  that 
  of 
  wild 
  game) 
  and 
  of 
  grain. 
  Armies 
  then, 
  however, 
  

   just 
  as 
  elsewhere, 
  eked 
  out 
  their 
  supplies 
  by 
  foraging 
  and 
  pillage. 
  

   The 
  enormous 
  numbers 
  sometimes 
  attributed 
  to 
  ancient 
  Chinese 
  armies 
  

   by 
  old 
  writers 
  are 
  evident 
  exaggerations; 
  for 
  it 
  would 
  have 
  been, 
  as 
  

   a 
  simple 
  calculation 
  will 
  show, 
  impossible 
  to 
  maintain 
  them 
  in 
  the 
  field 
  

   under 
  the 
  conditions 
  of 
  transport 
  that 
  then 
  prevailed. 
  

  

  Methods 
  of 
  combat. 
  — 
  Each 
  chariot 
  carried 
  three 
  men 
  clad 
  in 
  hide 
  

   armor 
  — 
  a 
  driver, 
  an 
  archer, 
  and 
  a 
  spearman. 
  How 
  the 
  infantry 
  were 
  

   armed 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  clear 
  indications, 
  although 
  they 
  seem 
  not 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  

   to 
  have 
  carried 
  missile 
  weapons 
  such 
  as 
  bows 
  and 
  arrows 
  or 
  slings. 
  

  

  Figube 
  14. 
  — 
  Chinese 
  mounted 
  archer, 
  from 
  design 
  on 
  tile 
  ; 
  late 
  first 
  millennium 
  

  

  B. 
  C. 
  

  

  Chariots 
  (see 
  pi. 
  3, 
  fig. 
  2 
  for 
  what 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  an 
  antler 
  cheek- 
  

   piece 
  of 
  a 
  Chinese 
  Bronze 
  Age 
  bit) 
  did 
  not 
  generally 
  fight 
  in 
  massed 
  

   formation 
  but 
  singly, 
  each 
  accompanied 
  by 
  its 
  supporting 
  contingent 
  

   of 
  foot. 
  Every 
  noble 
  bore 
  his 
  own 
  standard, 
  by 
  which 
  he 
  might 
  be 
  

   recognized 
  in 
  battle; 
  and 
  nobles 
  as 
  a 
  class 
  deemed 
  it 
  derogatory 
  to 
  

   fight 
  on 
  foot, 
  "like 
  peasants." 
  There 
  are 
  indications, 
  however, 
  that 
  

   the 
  practice 
  was 
  growing 
  more 
  usual 
  toward 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  Chou 
  period. 
  

   Armies 
  were 
  accompanied 
  on 
  campaigns 
  by 
  special 
  sacred 
  chariots 
  

   bearing 
  the 
  tablets 
  (perhaps 
  originally 
  images) 
  of 
  the 
  She 
  or 
  God 
  of 
  

   the 
  Soil 
  of 
  the 
  state 
  and 
  also 
  of 
  the 
  chief 
  ancestor 
  of 
  its 
  ruler 
  ; 
  these 
  

   tablets 
  were 
  supposed 
  to 
  extend 
  their 
  aid 
  in 
  battle, 
  much 
  like 
  the 
  Ark 
  

   of 
  the 
  Covenant 
  among 
  the 
  ancient 
  Israelites. 
  Omens 
  were 
  taken 
  be- 
  

   fore 
  an 
  action 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  signal 
  for 
  advance 
  was 
  given 
  on 
  a 
  drum, 
  that 
  

   for 
  retreat 
  on 
  a 
  gong, 
  both 
  instruments 
  borne 
  on 
  the 
  chariot 
  of 
  the 
  

   leader. 
  Cessation 
  of 
  these 
  sounds 
  was 
  apt 
  to 
  cause 
  a 
  panic 
  among 
  the 
  

   troops 
  by 
  giving 
  the 
  impression 
  that 
  the 
  leader 
  had 
  been 
  either 
  slain 
  

   or 
  made 
  a 
  prisoner 
  by 
  the 
  enemy. 
  Trumpets 
  were 
  not 
  used 
  in 
  war. 
  

  

  