Ten famous swords in ancient times were summarized by later generations, or more accurately, ten famous swords in pre-Qin, and they were mainly in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. Because the sword-making technology in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period reached a peak in the history of China, many famous swords in this period were recorded in ancient books.
With the end of the Bronze Age, the sword-casting technique in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was gradually lost, and the swords contained in ancient books were not as excellent as those in the pre-Qin period, so all the top ten Gu Jian were selected from the pre-Qin period.
There are many versions of the Top Ten Gu Jian, one of which is Xuanyuan Sword, Zhanlu Sword, Chi Xiaojian, Tai 'an Sword, Seven-Star Longyuan Sword, Ganjiang Sword, Moxie Sword, Fishbone Sword, Chunjun Sword and Cheng Yingjian.
These ten swords are only a representative of the "Ten Famous Swords", and many swords in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period can also be listed among the "Ten Famous Swords", so people came up with the second and third versions of the "Ten Famous Swords", that is to say, the "Ten Famous Swords" are not ten swords, but dozens of swords. However, it is worth noting that none of the "Top Ten Swords" in ancient times can be seen now. Why? There are two reasons:
First, the so-called Top Ten Gu Jian may be just legends or made up by ancestors. Because most of the famous swords in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period are from Yue Jue Shu, which is the earliest local chronicles in China, but there are many mistakes in the book, the most obvious of which is that the seniority of the king of Chu is mistaken. "Yue Jue Shu Yue Jue Volume 14 Yue Jue Chuan Chun Shen Jun Seventeen": "In ten years, the fierce king died, and Wang Sili ... especially the queen became pregnant with the king, which made Zhang Yi cheat and kill. Prince Huai helped the king, and Qin Shihuang destroyed Wang Jian. " Chu Youwang was followed by Chu Huaiwang, and Chu Huaiwang was followed by King Xiang of Chu? What's all this for? It can be seen that some of the things contained in Yuejue Book are legends, some are fiction, and they are not serious. It can be considered that the famous sword contained in the book does not actually exist.
Second, the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period are a time of war. If the Top Ten Gu Jian really exists, it will definitely become the object of feud. If you fight for each other and wander around, you will be at a loss for a long time. Ancient famous swords can only be seen by the ancients who were brought into the tomb, but the wandering people can't be seen by future generations unless they are brought into the tomb.
So, were there any unearthed swords in ancient times? Yes, many, but not many famous swords in the Spring and Autumn Period. So far, the "famous swords" with inscriptions unearthed in China during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period mainly include Wang Wuguang's sword, Wu Wang Fucha's sword, Yuezhougou Jian Peijun and so on. Can these swords be linked with the so-called "Ten Famous Swords" in ancient times? Which of the following three swords is closer to the top ten swords? Personally, I think this is the last time to approach Zhan Lu.