<p>The earliest known written description of the formula for gunpowder, from the Chinese <i><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wujing_Zongyao" title="Category:Wujing Zongyao">Wujing Zongyao</a></i> military manuscript that was compiled by 1044 during the Song Dynasty of China. It was written and compiled by the 11th century Song scholars Zeng Gongliang (曾公亮), Ding Du (丁度), and Yang Weide (楊惟德). The entry for this specific page is headed with the title "method for making the fire-chemical" ("huo yao fa").
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This picture can also be found on page 119 of Joseph Needham's book <i>Science and Civilization in China: Volume 5, Part 7</i>.
<a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:PericlesofAthens" title="User:PericlesofAthens">PericlesofAthens</a>
2007-08-11
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span> (My book)