Early gunpowder

Timeline

1. c. 900–1100Central Plains and Jiangnan · ChinaThe three-part formula of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal gradually standardized in alchemy and fireworks; by the Northern Song, firecrackers, fireworks, and simple incendiary weapons were used for celebrations and city-defense trials.
2. 1127–1230Liangzhe and Jingxiang of the Southern Song · Southern SongAfter the southward move, gunpowder weapons were incorporated into the Armaments Bureau manufacturing system, with early forms such as paper-wrapped gunpowder balls and bamboo fire lances appearing for city defense and boat combat, while the saltpeter proportion in the formula was gradually raised to increase explosive force.
3. 1231–1240Southern Song Jianghuai battlefield · JianghuaiAs the Mongols destroyed Jin and pressed south, the Southern Song trial-used weapons such as thunderclap fireballs, caltrop bombs, and tuhuoqiang at Xiangyang, Shouchun, and elsewhere, using gunpowder combustion and explosion against besieging forces, in coordination with traditional engines like bed crossbows, laying the foundation for later tube-shaped firearms.