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Tea 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. INDUSTRY
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By the 10th century, the Chinese had made the first weapon that used gunpowder: the flamethrower. Early flamethrowers contained gunpowder mixed with oil. The Chinese used them to spray enemies with a stream of fire. MILITARY TECH
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Steel 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. INDUSTRY
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Printing The invention of paper made another key development possible: printing. In about the 7th century, the Chinese invented a technique called woodblock printing. INDUSTRY
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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. EXPLORATION/TRAVLE
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By the 2nd century C.E., they started building ships with separate, watertight compartments. Builders divided the ships into sections and sealed each section with caulk, a sealant that keeps out water.
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For example, in 618 C.E. , a Chinese engineer completed a new type of arched bridge. In Europe, Roman-designed bridges rested on arches that were half-circles.The new Chinese bridge used arches that were a smaller part, or segment, of a circle. EXPLORATION/TRAVEL
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the flamethrower. Early flamethrowers contained gunpowder mixed with oil. The Chinese used them to spray enemies with a stream of fire. MILIARTY TECH
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In the 13th century, the Chinese used large bombs that were as explosive as modern bombs. Around the same time,they developed weapons much like today’s rifles and cannons. MILITARY TECH
