Ancient Chinese Weapons and Armor- The Kung Fu Connection

Throughout a long period of time, archeological discoveries continuously unearth ancient Chinese weapons, some of them ancient kung fu weapons. Recently, a 2,200 year old metal and jade weapon was unearthed. While jade is considered as a decorative element, forging a weapon of this type has never been within the bounds of imagination of many archeologists, up until now.
In many Hollywood films, these Ancient Chinese Weapons and Armor have been featured. Just what is the history of these Kung Fu accessories and how has the art of creating such weapons evolved since then?
As far back as 6,000 years ago, the ancient Chinese fashioned many types of weapons ranging from meteorite metal, iron, bronze, bamboo, wood, stone and jade. Because they were martial arts weapons, some of them were supposed to mimic or simulate the movements of animals and insects, whether real or in myth. Long before Hinduism and Buddhism brought Kung Fu from India, the Chinese had already mastered the art of melee weaponry and combat. The influence of Kung Fu merely improved ancient Chinese fighting styles. In actual fact, weapon fabrication, technique of usage, materials and shape greatly depended on the ruling dynasty or emperor at any period of time. A single dynasty may last for many centuries so weapons of a future dynasty may also have been influenced by a previous one.
With the discovery of iron, many types of iron weapons could now be forged and mass produced at a faster rate. In practical terms, iron was, of course, stronger and could last longer and so the quality of ancient Chinese weapons and armor greatly improved.