9th - 13th Century
Ca. 846:
In the ‘liber ignium ad comburendas hostes’, Marcus Graecus describes a black powder mixture of six parts
saltpeter, one part sulfur, two parts charcoal.
Ca. 1055:
According to Vosius delicate Chinese artillery was made in bronze.
1147:
Arabs used firearms against Spaniards and Normans in Lisbon.
1193:
The so called Greek fire was used in the Port of Dieppe against English ships. It was used without artillery.
Ca. 1260:
In the book ‘Opus Majus’ the Franciscan monk Roger Bacon from Ilchester, England, (1214 to 1294) a recipe
for black powder is men-tioned: Seven parts saltpeter, five parts sulfur, five parts charcoal.
Ca. 1280:
In ‘De mirabilibus mundi’ Alberta Magnus, bishop of Regensburg descri-bes rockets with propellant powder and
fire ignition compound. The compound consisted of saltpeter, sulfur and linseed oil with high saltpeter content
and less sulfur.