Based on primarily archaeological evidence,this paper deals with the Chinese-style firearms(gun and cannon)in Southeast Asia,particularly Dai Viet(Vietnam)during the fifteenth to the sixteen centuries,thus to supplement what the author’s research on the pre-European gunpowder technology of Southeast Asia based on written sources. The current research selects some representative firearms and discusses their typology,measurements,inscriptions,date,and relationship with the Chinese prototypes,and some other features. It demonstrates that relatively large quantities of Chinese-style firearms were manufactured in especially Vietnam,and thus renders more evidence to this author’s previous argument that Chinese-derived gunpowder technology had affected the history of mainland Southeast Asia in general,and Dai Viet in particular.
The research on Chinese-derived gunpowder technology in Southeast Asia has just started,while research drawing on archaeological(including underwater/maritime archaeological)evidence in this aspect has not been undertaken yet. This article also aims at contributing to our understanding of Chinese gunpowder technology and the dissemination of it to Southeast Asia during the early modern era.
Keywords: | ChinaSoutheast AsiaDai Viet(Vietnam)Gunpowder TechnologyFirearmGunCannonArchaeologyShipwrecks |