Quote:
Originally Posted by PTTG
Possibly give some very early Chinese alchemists an idea for crappy gunpowder. It's a forceful bang, but it's not even remotely space efficient and it's not very predictable.
It IS acceptable as a mining explosive for making canalbeds, though.
Let that stuff get exported and traded around about 100 BCE, and add a heavy dose of inertia to keep history on track, and there you go.
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Likewise, any relatively cheap high explosive (in the sense of 'better than black powder for this purpose') that is developed before the age of steam can lead to significant canal-building in regions that are more united than the Holy Roman Empire.