In 1988, Joseph Needham, Lu Gwei-Djen, and Pan Jixing published an article that declared to the world the discovery of the earliest known representation of a bombard, or gun. In the academic literature, however, there is significant doubt about its authenticity as a representation of a gun. Little subsequent evidence beyond the 1988 research note has corroborated their initial findings. This research note will show that the evidence originally presented by Lu, Needham, and Pan to support their argument that the cave in Dazu contains a bombard is inadequate. In doing so, it highlights the challenges researchers of Chinese history and the history of science have faced in the past and suggests ways the field is growing.
RevisitingDazuBombardDebunked.pdf (3.6 MB)