Basic Gun

The gun was one of the most destructive weapons invented by the Chinese.  They did not use it much themselves for a long period of time, but it became a very common weapon within a few centuries in Western Europe, where it was used for everything from hunting to warfare.  More modern guns based on the same principle as this original gun are used today in most forms of combat.

Date of Invention:
1288 AD  

Inventor: 
Unknown

Importance to Chinese civilization:
If it had been effectively utilized at this point, it would have revolutionized warfare for them; however, it wasn't, so it was destined to follow early Chinese clocks: they were disassembled, and years later when they were re-introduced by western European invaders, it was believed that they invented them first.

Importance to other civilizations:
Revolutionized hunting and warfare throughout the western world

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