14th-Century Siege Artillery

Timeline

1. 1320–1350Middle East and Eastern Europe · Western AsiaGunpowder formulas reached Western Asia and Eastern Europe via Mongol Empire trade routes and warfare; polities such as the Ottomans and the Ilkhanate began experimenting with early firearms for hurling stones and bombarding cities, mostly bronze or iron cast tube-shaped cannons with limited range and accuracy.
2. 1371–1380Siege battlefields of Western Asia and Central Asia · Iranian PlateauIn the 1370s, during Timur's campaigns and the sieges of the Ottomans, Golden Horde, and other polities, siege artillery was used alongside trebuchets and mining/blasting as a supplementary means to bombard gates and battlements; though unable to decide battles alone, its practical value grew increasingly apparent.
3. c. 1380–1400Cannon foundries in the Constantinople and Istanbul area · TurkeyBy the late 14th century, European and Ottoman cannon founders improved barrel wall thickness and chamber design, producing reusable bronze siege guns that laid the groundwork for decisive firearms use in large-scale sieges such as the fall of Constantinople in the 15th century.