Archimedes' Burning Mirrors, often shrouded in mystery and fascination, have been the subject of much speculation as to their potential use in historical conflicts. Among these conjectures, one intriguing theory suggests that Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan dynasty in China, explored the use of these devices during his sprawling plans to invade Japan in the 13th century.
In the 13th century, Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis Khan, set out to extend his empire to include Japan. The invasion, known as the Second Mongol Invasion of Japan (1281), was hampered by natural events, including Typhoon Kamikaze, considered by many to be divine intervention protecting Japan.
Archimedes' Burning Mirrors, a concept that dates back to Ancient Greece, were concave mirrors used to focus sunlight on flammable objects, creating fires. Although the existence of these devices has been confirmed, their application in historical conflicts remains largely speculative.
Some historians speculate that Kublai Khan, aware of the favorable winds and natural elements that had worked in Japan's favor during the first invasion attempt, may have sought innovative ways of circumventing these obstacles. Archimedes' burning Mirrors were envisaged as a strategic weapon that could cause devastating fires on Japanese ships.
This theory is shrouded in doubt, as there is little concrete evidence of Kublai Khan's actual use of Archimedes' Burning Mirrors. Historians also point to the technical challenges involved in manufacturing and coordinating these large-scale devices. However, a recent article may provide evidence that these devices were indeed used.
Studying these hypotheses allows us to delve into the intersection of technology, military strategy and the way in which ancient societies viewed innovation. The potential use of Archimedes' burning Mirrors would reflect Kublai Khan's foresight in exploring new technological advances to achieve his goals.
When discussing the possible use of Archimedes' Burning Mirrors by Kublai Khan during the invasion of Japan, it is important to note that this specific theory is not widely supported by the historical community. Direct references to such use in historical documents are rare, and most accounts of the period focus on other aspects of the Mongol invasion. This scarcity can be explained by the fragility of the writing media of the time. However, in the Arabic translation of the work 'Diocles: the burning mirrors', we can read the following:
ثم نزل زنودوروس الفلكي إلى أركاديا وعرَّفنا به,
وسألنا عن كيفية إيجاد سطح مرآة بحيث عندما توضع في مواجهة الشمس
فإن الأشعة المنعكسة منها تلتقي بنقطة وبالتالي تسبب حرقًا.
Translation:
Then Zenodorus, the astronomer, came down to Arcadia and was introduced to us, he asked us how to find a mirror surface such that, when placed facing the sun, the rays reflected from it would meet a point and thus cause a burn.
However, similar theories and speculations have been put forward by some writers and researchers, often as part of wider discussions on the military technologies and warfare strategies of the time. Among the historians who have approached the subject in a marginal way are :
Stephen Turnbull, a renowned specialist in Asian military studies who has written on the history of samurai and conflict in East Asia. Although his work focuses more on traditional aspects of warfare, he may have mentioned these speculations in the context of his wider research.
Gavin Menzies, controversial author of "1421: The Year China Discovered the World”, has proposed some bold theories about alleged Chinese explorations in the early fifteenth century. Although his work has been criticized by many historians, he is said to have addressed the question of Archimedes' Burning Mirrors as part of his speculation on the technologies of the time.
It is essential to note that these references do not guarantee academic validation of the theory in question. Most historians prefer to rely on direct evidence and contemporary sources when dealing with such specific subjects. The historical community remains cautious about accepting theories that are not based on solid, verifiable evidence.
There are also theories about the use of glass rather than metals in the manufacture of burning mirrors. In 1747, Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon carried out an experiment to study the validity of the legend of burning mirrors at the Château de la Muette in front of King Louis XV. To do this, he made a circular mirror with 168 small mirrors measuring approximately 16 cm by 21.5 cm. The focus of this mirror is about 6 meters from the target. He tested with a different number of mirrors. With 45, Buffon was able to melt a tin flask. With 117 mirrors, he melted pieces of silver and reddened a sheet of metal.
A new experiment was carried out in 1973 by the Greek scientist Ioannis Sakkas. This scientist used metal mirrors with a thin layer of polished bronze, the dimensions of which were almost identical to those on the Greek shields of the time. In just 2 minutes, he managed to burn a scale model of a galley 3.60 meters long at a distance of 50 meters.
In conclusion, we might think that the directed-energy weapons invented by Archimedes are a thing of the past - after all, we live in a society that has mastered nuclear technology. However, this is not the case. For at least several decades, DARPA has been studying this kind of technology. For example, the HELLADS (High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System) project in the laser weapons category, aimed at creating a laser to destroy air combat navigation systems.
One should also mention the MIMIC (Microwave and Millimeter Wave Integrated Circuit) project for directed microwave weapons. According to this article published by Scientific American, the US government has spent around 6 billion dollars since 1960 on developing this type of weapon. However, given current developments in military operations, notably the massive use of drones in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, it is highly likely that directed energy weapons will become part of the arsenal of most armies, as they are particularly effective against drones.
Translation by Guillaume Fournier Airaud
This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0