▁By z ant ines ▁adopted ▁the ▁mang onel ▁possibly ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ 5 8 7 , ▁the ▁Pers ians ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 7 th ▁century , ▁and ▁the ▁Arab s ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁Fran ks ▁and ▁Sax ons ▁adopted ▁the ▁weapon ▁in ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century . ▁▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Le ife ▁In ge ▁Re e ▁Pet erson , ▁a ▁mang onel ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁at ▁The od osi opol is ▁in ▁ 4 2 1 ▁but ▁was ▁" likely ▁an ▁on ager ". ▁He ▁also ▁claims ▁that ▁mang on els ▁were ▁independently ▁invent ed ▁or ▁at ▁least ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Mediter rane an ▁by ▁ 5 0 0 ▁AD ▁based ▁on ▁records ▁of ▁different ▁and ▁better ▁art illery ▁weapons , ▁however ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁explicit ▁description ▁of ▁a ▁tra ction ▁tre buch et . ▁Furthermore ▁mang on els ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁Spain ▁and ▁Italy ▁by ▁the ▁mid ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁and ▁in ▁Africa ▁by ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁Fran ks ▁adopted ▁the ▁weapon ▁in ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁West ▁of ▁China , ▁the ▁mang onel ▁remained ▁the ▁primary ▁sie ge ▁weapon ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁counter weight ▁tre buch et . ▁In ▁China ▁the ▁mang onel ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁until ▁the ▁counter weight ▁tre buch et ▁was ▁introduced ▁during ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁con quest ▁of ▁the ▁Song ▁dynast y . ▁In