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For several
thousand years, tea—made by letting tea leaves steep in boiling water—was drunk mostly as medicine. -
The Chinese who first made gunpowder were alchemists, people who practiced a
blend of science and magic known as alchemy. Alchemists experimented with mixtures of natural ingredients, trying
to find a substance that might allow people to live forever. -
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. -
Porcelain is made by combining clay with the minerals quartz and feldspar. The mixture is baked in a kiln, or pottery oven, at very high temperatures.
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The Chinese developed the first mechanical clock in about the 8th
century. The new clock was more accurate than earlier timekeeping devices, such as sundials and hourglasses. -
Paper money was invented by the Chinese in the late 8th or early 9th century. Before that time, coins were the only
form of currency. -
In the 13th century, the Chinese used large bombs that were as explosive as modern bombs.
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Printers used
woodblock printing to make the cards from thick paper. Famous artists drew the designs that appeared on the backs
of the cards. -
Rockets were powered by
a black powder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. -
Movable type consists
of separate blocks for each character. Printers made their
type by carving characters out of clay and baking them.
