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Period: 3000 BCE to
Chinese History
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2700 BCE
Tea
Chinese tea was made by steeping tea leaves in boiling water, and was used as medicine, but by the 8th century it had become a popular everyday drink.
Industry -
200 BCE
Steel
Steel is made from iron, but is less brittle and more malleable. The earliest Chinese steel was made from cast iron. The Chinese learned that blowing air into molten, or melted, cast iron causes a chemical reaction that creates steel.
Industry -
100
Porcelain
Porcelain is a type of fine pottery. Porcelain is made by combining clay with the minerals quartz and feldspar. It is then baked in a kiln. It is then white, hard, and waterproof. However, light can pass through it, so that despite its toughness it looks quite delicate and beautiful.
Industry -
200
Paper
The Chinese made paper with hemp and the bark of the mulberry tree. Later, the Chinese used rags.
Industry -
300
Compass
The first Chinese compasses were made from lodestone, which was eventually replaced by a steel needle. Rubbing lodestone on the needle magnetized it, and it was more accurate.
Travel -
Feb 16, 800
Clock
The mechanical clock was very accurate; it made one turn every 25 hours. dripping water made it turn.
Everyday Objects -
Feb 13, 850
Gunpowder
Chinese alchemists discovered gunpowder when they were using saltpeter to find the secret to immortality. Military Technology -
Feb 16, 900
Paper Money
Printed with wooden blocks, paper money was very colorful and popular. Coins were the only form of currency before it.
Everyday Objects -
Feb 16, 1000
Rockets
Rockets were fueled by black powder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. First, rockets were used only in fireworks. Later, the Chinese used them as weapons.
Military Technology
