A Crossbow Could Shoot Twice as Far as a Modern Rifle
A 2,200-year-old crossbow which some experts believe could have been almost twice as powerful as a modern-day assault rifle has been discovered among the Terracotta Warriors.
The crossbow, which was found intact this week, could have shot an arrow up to 2,600 feet – about the length of nine football pitches, the People’s Daily Online reported.
The discovery is particularly exciting as experts believe the crossbow may hold the secret to the success of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang.
The crossbow, which was found half-buried next to one of the terracotta statues, was discovered by archaeologists working at the site.
It is the first time archaeologists have seen a complete version of the weapon, although they previously found 10 more broken crossbows in the same pit.
The bow measures almost five feet in length, with a height of about 50 inches.
Its size suggests that it was one of the most powerful bows of its era. Historical texts indicate that its firing range could have been up to 2,600 feet, according to Huashang Newspaper, which is double the range of an assault rifle, which is about 1,300 feet.
Some historians believe that analysis of a number of historical texts shows that the crossbow was integral to several important military victories of the period.
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