If you take ‘The Book of the sword’ by Richard F. Burton, you can on page 19, note 6, read this. The crossbow is apparently indigenous amongst various tribes of Indo-China, but reintroduced into European warfare during the twelfth century (Yule’s Marco Polo, ii, 143).
Note 1 on page 37 also mentions a crossbow from Benin, and lastly on page 165 the crossbow is mentioned again at the bottom of the page.
The first, note 6, is interesting as it goes back to the twelfth century – if this is correct that is.
I don'r know which edition of Marco Polo Burton is refering to, be course in my copy there is no mention of a crossbow on page 143 in volume II.
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