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wder in the 13th century, and primitive guns appeared not long after 1300. At first they were more a novelty than an effective weapon. However, by the 15th century enormous cannon called bombards were developed, capable of battering down city or castle walls far more effectively than traditional siege engines such as catapults. These huge bombards were hard to move; often they were made on the spot for a siege. In particular, they were too heavy and bulky to be mounted aboard ships.

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