28 Responses to The Real Origin of Viking Raids. 1  Well done! 2  Thank you for this article. 3  The shutting of the ancient trade routes to Rome and the East by the Holy Roman Empire was the principle reason that the Rus trade routes down the Volga were established. 4  Pingback: Daily Stuff 5-20-13 MjÃ¶lnir | Ancient Light's Daily Stuff.
By Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Gunpowder or black powder is of great historical importance in chemistry. Although it can explode, its principal use is as a propellant. Gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists in the 9th century.Originally, it was made by mixing elemental sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter (potassium nitrate).y Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. Gunpowder or black powder is of great historical importance in chemistry. Although it can explode, its principal use is as a propellant. Gunpowder was invented by Chinese alchemists in the 9th century.
Both were widely used during the Civil War. These firearms were important in the early history of the machine gun as it gave inventors an idea of what the design had to be like. The Maxim Machine Gun and Others . This rapid fire weapon was invented by the American Richard Gatling in 1861. It was first used by the US Army in 1865 and it would also become popular with European armies. Tests by the British Army showed it could fire 600 shots in two minutes. Maximâs invention (the Maxim Machine Gun) became popular because of its efficiency.