|
Earliest
Firearms Discovered in China
|
????Chinese historians
confirmed after recent investigation that a copper blunderbuss
reserved by a collector is the oldest weapon using gunpowder.
????The blunderbuss, 38 centimeters long, weighing
five kilograms, is believed to be produced around 700 years ago
during the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). Historians also found two
Chinese characters "Shen Fei," meaning flying magically,
carved on its barrel.
????Wang Yulang, an expert in local history
of Harbin Institute of Social Sciences, said that the blunderbuss
is at least 100 years older than a similar blunderbuss, which
was built in 1332 and had been recognized as the oldest in the
world.
????Wang found the blunderbuss unexpectedly
as he went recently to help a local collector in north China's
Heilongjiang Province to clean up his collections.
????According to ancient historical documents,
"Shen Fei" debuted as the name of the blunderbuss in
Song Dynasty.
(Xinhua 01/16/2001)
|
