The level of military development in the Jurchen Empire was very high. During numerous wars, its army employed various types of siege weapons, including stone throwers.

When preparing the defense against the Mongols, the Jurchens built cities in the mountains, turning them into impregnable fortresses with a complex defense system strengthened not only by fortifications, but also by stone-throwing machines.

It is known that initially, instead of cannonballs, simple stones were used, which were specially prepared for throwing at the enemy.

At present, stone cannonballs have been found in all Jurchen settlements in Primorye. Several samples of such cannonballs are exhibited in the archaeological collection of the Spassk-Dalny Museum.

The size, or caliber, of the stone cannonballs varied. Military regulations mandated the constant replenishment of the supply of such stones.

In the 9th–10th centuries, a period of standardization began. Stones were specially selected and processed for different types of stone throwers. Records have survived indicating that during the siege of Haizhou in 1127, the largest projectiles used by the Jurchen army weighed about 120 kilograms.

Some principles of ballistics were also known. “If the weight of the projectiles is the same, then their hits on the target will be accurate; if they are round in shape, they will fly far, ” stated the shooting manual.

Most of the stone cannonballs were spherical. Projectiles were also made of clay, sometimes with a brick core. When hitting the target, cannonballs would shatter, preventing the enemy from using them for counterattacks.

In ancient times, wooden logs with burning coals were launched from stone throwers. When gunpowder was invented, it soon began to be used as a filler for incendiary projectiles. In the manufacture of such projectiles, gunpowder was mixed with vegetable fibers, oil, resin, wax, and other additives. Then the homogeneous mass was wrapped in several layers of paper, bound with rope, and coated with resin. The projectile was fired from a stone thrower, and before firing, it was pierced with a red-hot awl. Explosive projectiles in the form of ceramic vessels filled with gunpowder are known from the 13th century. Later, iron incendiary projectiles with metal casings appeared. They were used by the Chinese, the Jurchens, and later by the Mongols.