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Period: 3000 BCE to 1400 BCE
chinese history
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2700 BCE
tea
Tea farmers grow small tea trees or
shrubs on high ground—usually above 4,000 feet. When the trees are ready for harvest, only new-growth leaves are
picked—by hand. Then the tree is cut back so it will grow new leaves for the next harvest, and the cycle repeats
several times a year. Workers then dry the fresh leaves by
leaving them out in sunlight for different numbers of days,
depending on the variety of tea. The final drying process takes
place in a dry wok or in a small oven. -
1300 BCE
rockets
By 1300, rockets had spread through much of Asia and into Europe. The rockets that we use to explore space today
are based on principles discovered by the Chinese. -
900 BCE
crossbow
it is like a bow but easier to use because it uses a trigger. -
850 BCE
gunpowder
gunpowder is a combination of chemicals. -
618 BCE
the great stone bridge
it is a stone bridge 123 feet long. -
600 BCE
printing
The invention of paper made another key
development possible: printing. In about the 7th century,
the Chinese invented a technique called woodblock -
400 BCE
paddlewheel boat
they arranged a series of paddles in a wheel. People walked
on a treadmill to turn the paddlewheel, which in turn moved through the water, moving the boat forward. -
200 BCE
chinese compass
it looks like a spoon on a plate. -
100 BCE
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.
