Chinese Discoveries & Inventions

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

    3000BCE to 1400 CE

  • 200 BCE

    STEEL

    STEEL
    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
  • 150 BCE

    PAPER

    PAPER
    The Chinese invented the art of papermaking by the second century C.E. The earliest Chinese paper was probably made from hemp and then the bark of the mulberry tree. Later, the Chinese used rags. INDUSTRY
  • 50 BCE

    PORCELAIN

    PORCELAIN
    Porcelain Another Chinese invention is a type of fine pottery called porcelain. Some historians think that the Chinese produced the first porcelain as early as the 1st century C.E. INDUSTRY
  • Feb 15, 750

    CLOCK

    CLOCK
    The Chinese developed the first mechanical clock in about the 8th century. The new clock was more accurate than earlier timekeeping devices. The Chinese devised a wheel that made one complete turn every 24 hours. Every quarter hour, drums would beat; and every hour, a bell would chime. EVERYDAY OBJECTS
  • Feb 15, 820

    PAPER MONEY

    PAPER MONEY
    Like game cards, paper money was printed with wood blocks. By 1107, Song printers were using multiple wood blocks to print each bill. A single bill would have many colors. Paper money is the most common form of currency in the world today. EVERYDAY OBJECTS
  • Feb 13, 850

    GUNPOWDER

    GUNPOWDER
    Chinese alchemists accidentally discovered gunpowder while trying to find the seacret to eternal life. MILITARY TECHNOLIGY
  • Feb 15, 850

    GAME CARDS

    GAME CARDS
    Printers usedwoodblock printing to make the cards from thick paper. Famous artists drew the designs that appeared on the backs of the cards. Europeans were introduced to card games by the late 1300s. EVERYDAY OBJECTS
  • Feb 15, 950

    FLAMETHROWERS

    FLAMETHROWERS
    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 TECHNOLIGY
  • Feb 14, 1300

    ROCKETS

    ROCKETS
    Rocket technology was developed in China during the Song dynasty. Later, the Chinese used them as weapons. They were developed in a two-stage rocket for their armies. The first stage propelled the rocket through the air. The second stage dropped arrows down on the enemy. MILITARY TECHNOLIGY