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Sea The Chinese developed the first
compass as early as the 3rd century B.C.E. The first
Chinese compasses were pieces of a magnetic mineral
called lodestone. Earth itself is like a giant magnet with
north and south poles. Because lodestone is magnetic, it is
influenced by Earth’s magnetic poles. If you put a piece of
lodestone on wood and float it in a bowl of water, the
lodestone will turn until it points in a north-south direction. -
Gunpowder is what makes bombs explode. It is also what gives bullets their distance
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The Chinese invented the art of papermaking by the second century C.E. The earliest Chinese paper was
probably made from hemp and then the bark of the mulberry tree. -
Bridges Within China, people often traveled by boat on rivers or
across lakes. An innovation of a vessel called a paddlewheel boat made this type of travel must faster.
Have you ever paddled a canoe or other small boat? As you push your paddle through the water, the boat moves
forward. In the 5th century, the Chinese adapted this idea by arranging a series of paddles in a wheel. People walked
on a treadmill to turn the paddlewheel, which in turn moved through the water, moving the boat forward. -
In the 7th century, the Chinese created woodblock printing. The first people drew symbols
