犁的发展可分为原始犁、古代犁和现代犁三个阶段。从材质上讲有木、石、青铜、铁等。从使用功能上讲有直辕犁、曲辕犁、代耕架，近代出现了改良犁和现代的拖拉机犁等。

　　最早的犁头是石制的，新石器时代的遗址中发现了石犁。犁的发明，改变了耕地上向下间断式作业的方式，变为由后向前连续作业的方式，成为了最主要的耕具。

　　这是自商代到宋代的金属犁－青铜犁、青铜犁境、铁犁、铁铧、铁犁铧等。

　　铁犁出现在春秋战国时期，最初只有铁犁铧。这件河南辉县出土的铁犁铧是目前已知的最早的铁犁。

　　自唐代出现曲辕犁以后，全国各地根据不同的地质创造发明了各式各样的犁。

　　The development of plough experienced three phases, including primitive plough, ancient plough and modern plough. In terms of materials, there are wooden, stone, bronze and iron ploughs. In terms of function, there are straight shaft plough, curved shaft plough and substitute cultivation rack. Improved plough and modern tractor plough appeared in the modern time.

　　The earliest plough head was made by stone. Stone plough was found in the relics of the Neolithic Age. The invention of plough changed the way of disconnected work from up to down during cultivation and changed it into the way of continuous work from back to front. Therefore, it became the most important cultivation tool.

　　These are metal plough, which includes, bronze plough, bronze plough mirror, iron plough, iron shovel and iron ploughshare, etc. from Shang Dynasty to Song Dynasty.

　　Iron plough appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States. At the beginning, there was only iron ploughshare. This iron ploughshare, excavated from Hui County of Henan Province, was so far the earliest iron plough we know.

　　Since the appearance of curved shaft plough in Tang Dynasty, different shapes of ploughs were invented in different places according to different geologies.