chinese discoveries

Improving there water transportation resorces

250 BCE

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.

steel

200 BCE

The Chinese first made steel, a very useful metal, before 200 B.C.E. Steel is made from iron, but it is less brittle than iron and easier to bend into different shapes.

Porcelain

50

Another Chinese invention is a type of fine pottery called porcelain.

Paper

150

The Chinese invented the art of papermaking by the second century C.E. The earliest Chinese paper was
of the mulberry tree.

Improving Travel on Rivers

450

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.

Printing

650

The invention of paper made another key
development possible: printing.

Tea

750

We know from written accounts that the Chinese have been drinking tea since at least 2700 B.C. For several
thousand years, tea—made by letting tea leaves steep in boiling water—was drunk mostly as medicine.

The Development of the Mechanical Clock

750

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. The Chinese devised a wheel that made one complete turn every 24 hours.

Gunpowder

850

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.

Technology

1300

Rocket technology was developed in China during the Song dynasty. Rockets were powered by a black powder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. At first, rockets were used only in fireworks.