Geoff Smith (Author)
Icon: Journal of the International Committee for the History of Technology
Volume: 21
Pages: 147-166
Arguably the most important Western source on the early history of gunpowder technology is the late-thirteenth-century manuscript, 'Das Fuerwerkbuch'. When it was translated into English in 2001, it contained a commentary on the chemistry of many of the formulations given. These were largely dismissed as useless alchemical nonsense which could not work. Although some mysteries remain, much of the formulation can be understood either as contemporary 'best practice' or by comparison with modern pyrotechnic and explosive knowledge. This essay re-examines the underlying chemistry and demonstrates some surprising innovations anticipating much later claims.
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