During the Chinese Song Dynasty (c. 960-1279), military engineering, so to speak, was enhanced by the invention of the ancestor of the cannon: the “fire lance” made of bamboo. Gunpowder at one end was ignited, launching sand, lead bullets or fragments of pottery at the enemy. When metal replaced bamboo, probably around 1100, the lances became “fire tubes” or “fire erupters”. The oldest record of them is a painting from 1128. The primitive Chinese cannon launched a ball about 45 cm. A century later, it was made of bronze and had enough power to destroy walls. According to Joseph Needham, a historian specializing in Chinese technology, the use of the cannon in warfare made great progress when the balls became the exact width of the tube, allowing for greater control. Later, cannons began to be made of cast iron, some with wheels. This technology spread and was developed in Europe: the Scots defended Stirling Castle with cannon in 1341, and King Edward III used three cannon at the Battle of Crécy-en-Ponthieu in 1346 – there were over 100 in London. Early European cannons were small, but by the end of the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) there were giant cannons, called "bombards". The Mons Meg cannon, built in 1457, is in Edinburgh Castle, Scotland: with a calibre of 56 cm, it is capable of firing 150 kg balls over a distance of approximately 3.2 km.

From the 16th century onwards, lighter and more accurate cannons were developed, which evolved into modern artillery weapons, such as the howitzer, used decisively in the American Civil War (1861-1865).