Chinese Discoveries & Inventions

By DavisAly
  • Period: 3000 BCE to Dec 31, 1400

    Chinese History

  • 600 BCE

    Canal Locks

    Canal Locks
    There was a problem because the Chinese had to drag their boats up stone ramps for water to reach at a higher level. They solved it by developing a new type of lock. EXPLORATION AND TRAVEL
  • 250 BCE

    Magnetic Compass

    Magnetic Compass
    This compass is a magnetized needle that aligns itself with Earth’s magnetic poles so that one end points north and the other south. the Chinese were using this type of compass to help them navigate on long voyages. EXPLORATION AND TRAVEL.
  • 200 BCE

    Steel

    Steel
    The earliest Chinese steel was made from cast iron. The Chinese were the first to learn how to make cast iron by melting and molding iron ore. Later they learned that blowing air into molten, or melted, cast iron causes a chemical reaction that creates steel. Steel is a great deal stronger than iron. INDUSTRY
  • 50

    Porcelain

    Porcelain
    Another Chinese invention is a type of fine pottery called porcelain.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. The resulting pottery is white, hard, and waterproof. However, light can pass through it, so that despite its
    sturdiness it looks quite delicate and beautiful. INDUSTRY
  • 150

    Paper

    Paper
    The Chinese invented the art of paper making by the second century. C.E. The earliest Chinese paper was probably made from hemp and then the bark of the mulberry tree. INDUSTRY.
  • 550

    Paddle Wheel Boats

    Paddle Wheel Boats
    Paddle boats were easy to maneuver and allow Chinese to travel faster on rivers and lakes. An innovation of a vessel called a paddle wheel boat made this type of travel must faster. And powered by Oxen. EXPLORATION AND TRAVEL
  • Feb 13, 850

    gun powder

    gun powder
    Discovered accidentally by alchemists who were working with a substance called saltpeter. They were looking for something that would allow them to live forever. Military Technology
  • Feb 16, 1300

    Rockets

    Rockets
    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. Later, the Chinese used them as weapons. MILITARY TECHNOLOGY
  • Feb 16, 1300

    Weapons

    Weapons
    During the Song and Mongol periods, the Chinese developed powerful weapons. Around the same time, they developed weapons much like today’s rifles and cannons. Eventually, weapons like crossbows, swords, and spears gave way to guns and cannons. MILITARY TECHNOLOGY