By Keqiao Cheng, EDITOR

Chongqing - Baidicheng, also known as Baidi City or White Emperor City, is located on the northern shore of Qutang Gorge of the Yangtze River, Fengjie County. It has been of great military importance since ancient times. Notably, it was a crucial fortress during the Mongol Conquest of the Song Dynasty. Thus, in Chinese history, it was also one of the “Eight Columns of Sichuan”, a defense system consisting of eight fortresses in Sichuan Basin.

Iron bombs of 800 years ago

From February to September 2018, two agencies conducted archaeological investigation, exploration and excavation at the Baidicheng site. They are Chongqing Academy of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Relics Administration Office of Fengjie County.

The relics unearthed in this archaeological practice are mainly weapons from the Southern Song Dynasty. They are iron arrows, iron spears, iron headings, iron bombs, bronze ballistas and stone missiles. 

It is worth mentioning that archaeologists discovered gunpowder weapons with clear stratification in the Song-Meng mountain defense system for the first time at the site. “Through high-tech means, we have confirmed that soldiers and civilians in the late Song Dynasty were actually using gunpowders to fight against Mongol army.”

Sun Zhigang is the site principal of the archaeological excavation of the Baidicheng site. He said that there were manufacturing tools unearthed earlier. Besides this, they speculated that soldiers utilized the tools to make gunpowder in the Southern Song Dynasty.

The discovery of a batch of well-preserved iron bombs and their sulfur-rich fillers corroborates the previous assumptions. “This fully verifies the historical documentary records on the usage of gunpowder weapons during the Mongol Conquest of the Song Dynasty.”

Documentary records and related archaeological discoveries prove firearms as an important weapon in the battles during the Mongol conquest of the Song Dynasty. The wars witnessed the transformation of use from cold weapons to hot weapons. It promotes the spread and exchanges of firearm technology. It also plays an important role in the development history of ancient weapons.

Mystery about these bombs

So, how does it fire? How does it burn and explode?

An industrial CT scanner finds that the inside of these iron bombs is not solid. The filler of one bomb is relatively high sulfur content. Therefore, it can preliminarily identify that the gunpowder was packed into the iron bomb.

As an ancient combat instrument, mangonel has a history of nearly 3,000 years. The manufacturing and tactical operation of it reached its peak in the Southern Song Dynasty. Complete Essentials for the Military Classics, also known as Wujing Zongyao, is a Chinese military compendium in the Song Dynasty. The book records that the largest mangonel is 8.76 meters long and requires 50 men to handle. It fires 45 kilograms of stone bombs at a time, with a firing range of over 500 meters.

What about its power?

Ye Lin, a researcher from Chongqing Academy of Cultural Heritage, is responsible for the study of fillings of iron mines. She said that they would invite some experts to conduct further research on iron bombs. “We will announce the result of the study as soon as possible. Everyone will know the power of it.”

Source: CQCB