Knife and fork appeared much later than chopsticks. According to Professor You Xiuling's research, the original origin of knives and forks is related to the living habits of ancient European nomadic peoples. They immediately carried knives with them and often cooked the meat and ate it. Later, after moving to settle down, Europe was dominated by animal husbandry. Bread and other food were non-staple foods, which were taken directly by hand. The staple food is beef and mutton. Cut the meat with a knife and send it to the mouth. After the city settles, the knife and fork enter the home kitchen, so they don't have to carry them. It is not difficult to see that the identity of knives and chopsticks as the main tableware in the West is very different today. It has various functions and can be used to slaughter, dissect, and cut the meat of cattle and sheep. When it is cooked and edible, it also serves as tableware.
This is the history of the use of knives and forks in the West. In the East, the use of knives and forks has a much longer history. Archeological findings confirm that our ancestors started using forks more than 4000 years ago. Some bone forks were found in the Qijia cultural site in the northwest, and they are tridentate.
This fork is very close to the shape of the western fork we use now, and the size is not much different. And it is worth paying special attention that when this fork was unearthed, it was with the spoon and the bone knife, indicating that the fork, spoon and knife were three matching sets at that time. It is also very interesting, and it is the same as the tableware of western food.
This fork is still in use after the business week. Excavated in some sites and tombs of the Shang Dynasty, especially in a Warring States tomb, there were many forks, more than 50, which were unearthed in Luoyang and placed with bronze.
Since the Shang Dynasty, the fork has become two teeth, which is not the same as the earliest three-tooth fork. It is relatively small.
The use of Chinese forks after the Warring States Period: Donghan copper forks unearthed in Jiuquan, Gansu, Dongjin iron forks unearthed in Guangdong, and Yuan Dynasty forks unearthed in Zhangxian County, Gansu. The same compatible knife and fork, as well as a bamboo sheath dedicated to the knife and fork.
Of course, after the Warring States period, there were significantly fewer excavations of knives and forks, indicating that the use of knives and forks was far less popular than chopsticks.
Let's talk about table knives. Many exquisite bone table knives were found in the Hemudu site in Zhejiang Province 7000 years ago. Archeological findings have shown that from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Warring States Period, bronze spoon-shaped, sharp-leaf spoon-shaped and long-handle tongue-shaped table knives have been popular. The narrow-handle tongue-shaped table knife has been used for more than 2,000 years from spring and autumn to the Song and Yuan dynasties, and the materials are bronze, silver and gold.