How was black powder used in China during the 10th century?

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coal miner loading a drill hole with an explosive — explosive A coal miner loading a drill hole with a water gel explosive called Tovex.

In the 10th century, the use of black powder in China was primarily focused on fireworks and signaling devices. While some historical accounts suggest that Chinese alchemists—who originally discovered the mixture while searching for life-extending elixirs—also employed the substance in rockets attached to arrows, its application as a military weapon remained limited during this period.123

Although there is some evidence suggesting the potential use of black powder in bombs thrown by mechanical artillery, these applications were not as widespread or tactically developed as they would later become in Europe. The use of black powder to propel projectiles from bamboo tubes is more definitively recorded in the mid-13th century, rather than the 10th century.31