Bombard ( weapon ) The bombard is a cannon or mortar used in medieval times . It was a large caliber , muzzle - loading artillery piece mainly used during sieges to throw stone balls at opponent ’ s walls . The primary use was to break down the walls of the enemy so the army could get to the enemy . Most bombards were made of iron and used gunpowder to launch the projectile through the air . There are many types of bombards , including the Mons Meg , Dardanelles Gun , and the handheld bombard . Bombards were part of a family of superguns that had a big role in history . They were used throughout the Middle Ages and the early modern period and had a profound impact on many wars . History of bombards . The oldest representation of a bombard can be found in the Chinese town of Ta - tsu . In 1985 , Robin Yates was visiting Buddhist cave temples when he saw a sculpture on the wall of a demon holding a hand - held bombard . The muzzle seems to have a blast and flames coming from it which some believe is proof of some type of super gun . Yates examined the cave and believed the drawings dated back to the late 12th century . The British began using cannons in the late 14th century . They first used them as defensive weapons but then began using them as siege weapons . Henry IV , Henry V , and James II won battles with the use of bombards . James II destroyed many castles with his one and a half ton cannon named " The Lion " . Most bombards started with the construction of a wooden core surrounded by iron bars . Then , iron hoops were driven over these bars in order to surround and cover them . The whole structure was then wielded with a hammer while it was still hot at about 1300 degrees . The rings then subsequently cooled and formed over the bars to secure them . The last step was to incinerate the wooden core and to attach a one - piece cast . The complicated procedure required a highly skilled forge who could work quickly and precisely with a hammer . Notable examples . A notable example of a bombard is the large Mons Meg weapon , built around 1449 and used by King James II of Scotland . It was very powerful and used for bringing down castle walls . The origins of the Mons Meg are not fully known but according to Philip the Good , Duke of Burgundy , it was his idea . It was ordered around 1449 and had similar construction to a typical bombard . However , the Mons Meg was seldom used because of several factors . First of all , it was incredibly hard to transfer because it could not be disassembled and additional frames were needed to keep it steady during battle . These frames were not reliable and also very dangerous , claiming two deaths in the defense of Edinburgh when it was being set . Mons Meg was capable of firing 180 kg ( 396 lb ) shots and was one of the largest bombards in its time . It is now housed on public display at Edinburgh Castle . Other known 15th century superguns include the wrought - iron Pumhart von Steyr and Dulle Griet as well as the cast - bronze Faule Mette , Faule Grete , and Grose Bochse . The Tsar Cannon is a late 16th century show - piece . The Dardanelles Gun , built in the Ottoman Empire in 1464 by Munir Ali , with a weight of 18 . 6 t and a length of 518 cm , was capable of firing stone balls of up to 63 cm diameter . Eventually bombards were superseded by weapons using smaller calibre iron projectiles with more powerful gunpowder . References . 1 . Sands , Kathleen . " Though One Of The Best - Documented Of Medieval Bombards , Mons Meg Was The Subject Of Exaggeration And Legend . " Military History 16 . 3 ( 1999 ) : 22 . Academic Search Premier . Web . 31 Mar . 2013 . 2 . Lu Gwei - Djen , Joseph Needham and Phan Chi - Hsing . Technology and Culture , Vol . 29 , No . 3 ( Jul . , 1988 ) , pp . 594 – 605 3 . W . H . Finlayson . The Scottish Historical Review , Vol . 27 , No . 104 , Part 2 ( Oct . , 1948 ) , pp . 124 – 126 4 . Cvikel , Deborah , and Haim Goren . " Where Are Bonaparte ' s Siege Cannon ? An Episode In The Egyptian Campaign . " Mediterranean Historical Review 23 . 2 ( 2008 ) : 129 - 142 . Academic Search Premier . Web . 31 Mar . 2013 .