Cannon

A cannon is a large-calibre gun, a type of artillery firing a projectile with an explosive propellant, first securely attested in China in the 13th century. It probably developed from or alongside the fire lance: Yuan troops are recorded using hand cannons in 1288, and the Xanadu Gun of 1298 is the earliest extant cannon with a date of production. Gunpowder was its main propellant until the late 19th century; by the end of the 14th century cannons were widespread across Eurasia, and in 1453 Ottoman bombards broke the walls of Constantinople.