00:00If you were a warrior in 10th century China, you might carry a completely different kind
00:05of spear. Strapped near its tip is a bamboo tube, packed with a primitive black powder
00:10made of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter. When you light the fuse at the back, the powder
00:16instantly ignites. The immense pressure shoots out the open front, blasting a dense flame
00:22and a cloud of shrapnel forward. The fire doesn't spray everywhere. It's focused ahead
00:27for several meters. This weapon, known as the fire lance, wasn't just a crude flamethrower.
00:33It was the very first step toward the age of gunpowder.
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