Zu or arrowhead, commonly known as Jiantou in Chinese, is the most lethal part at the front side of an arrow. It consists of a sharp point, two opening prongs, a Ji axis and a Ting tang. Because of the special shape of the arrowhead, all its parts have their special names: the sharp point in the front is called Qianfeng; the two sides, Yi; the sharp part on the Yi, Ren; the barb under the Yi, Houfeng; the joint between Houfeng and Ji in the middle, Ben; the joint between the Houfeng of Ji and Ting, Guan; the round shaft at the rear of Guan, Ting.

As one of the earliest cold weapons, bows and arrows had been used by our ancestors for hunting as early as the Paleolithic Age. As recorded in the Book of Changes · Xi Ci, “They bent wood by means of string so as to form bows, and sharpened wood so as to make arrows.” According to it, wooden bows are named Hu, and arrows, Shi. During archaeological excavations, it is rare to find bows and arrow shafts of the Stone Age (bows and shafts were made of bamboo, wood, rattan and other perishable materials. Generally, they could not be preserved till today). However, a large number of arrowheads dating from the Stone Age have been unearthed. Made of stone, bone, clamshell, pottery and other materials, most of them were polished into different shapes. In the late Neolithic Age, some arrowheads were polished into regular and symmetrical shapes, close to metal ones of the later generations.

Followed the first discovery at the Erlitou cultural site, a large number of arrowheads have been unearthed. At the time, arrowheads were small in size, the end of the prong is sweepback-shaped, and the Ting tang is short. There are also some with cone-shaped heads or with broad wings yet without Houfeng part. In the early Shang Dynasty, the arrowheads had been widely used. Some of them had the same shapes as those of Erlitou Culture period, while some had short ridges and solid Ting tangs. In the mid-Spring and Autumn Period, the two prongs of the arrowheads were flared, and openworked and triangular arrowheads appeared. In the Warring States Period, openworked arrowheads had been widely used. And the three-pronged arrowhead dating back to the Warring States Period also reflects this feature. Meanwhile, in ancient times, bags used to contain arrows were generally called Fu, and made of leather or wood.

In the Bronze Age, just like the arrowheads, bows became more elastic after repeated improvement of design. In the Shang Dynasty composite bows made of more than two layers of materials appeared, and they were stronger than primitive self bow with a far longer arrow range. During chariot battles in the Shang and Zhou dynasties, bows and arrows were the main weapon used by the two sides. The unearthed objects indicate that besides the long, short, self and composite bows made of wood and bamboo, some compound bows at a higher level began to be used in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Starting from the Han Dynasty, to meet the needs of infantry, navy and cavalry, bows were made to be more suitable for fighting, and different types of bows with diversified designs were produced, such as Huben Bow, Jiaoduan Bow, Diaogong Bow, Lugong Bow, and Qianggong Bow.

As a weapon that can kill the enemy from a long distance, bows ranked 1st among weapons and were widely used in ancient times. Children from nobles and generals’ families should learn archery in childhood. As a kind of skill, archery became one of the Six Noble Arts that princes and high-rank officials should grasp. It was regarded not only as a kind of dignified ritual during emperors’ meetings and banquets, but also as a kind of etiquette in folk customs. For example, when a boy was born, his family would hang a bow at the gate to express parents’ wishes for the boy's growing into a strong and courageous man excelling in archery.

The most important factor for archers equipped with bows and arrows is their strength. In ancient times, a first-class bow had a draw weight of about 60kg, and an archer with great strength could draw a bow with a draw weight of about 150kg. The draw weight decides the arrow range, penetration and shooting accuracy. For different targets, the arrow shaft, as well as the size, shape and weight of the arrowhead would be adjusted and vary. During archaeological excavations, we found a ridge-shaped arrowhead with iron head and bronze tail was embedded in a robust hipbone at the ancient site of Changping Battle in Jincheng of Shanxi. Obviously it was shot during the battle in the past, and we can imagine the great strength that was needed to shoot the arrow.

To improve the lethality of bows and arrows as weapons and expand their practical function, ancient people designed small arrowheads in various forms, for example, two-pronged, three-pronged, flat-leafed, willow-leafed, grooved and cone-shaped ones. This one found in the tomb of Huixian County, Henan Province, features one of these forms. In ancient battles, the two troops usually arrayed facing each other in battle formation. Therefore, bows and arrows played a vital role and occupied an important position in the army.

Arrowheads used in battlefields usually featured special design, such as the groove and barbs. The groove would cause a quick loss of the victims’blood and ability to fight. The barbs would increase the victims’ pain and thus undermine their morale. To make the arrows more lethal, ancient people applied arsenic and poison to the arrowhead, and the victims would immediately find it difficult to breathe and feel weak, and die quickly.