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Period: 300 BCE to 1400
Chinese History
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250 BCE
Compass
The Chinese invented the first compass as early as the 3rd century B.C.E. The first Chinese compass were pieces of a magnetic mineral called lodestone. -
200 BCE
Steel
The first 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. -
50
Porcelain
Porcelain is another Chinese invention that is a fine pottery. Some historians think that the Chinese produced the first porcelain as early as the 1st century C.E. -
150
Paper
The earliest Chinese paper was probably made from hemp and then bark of a mulberry tree. Eventually, the Chinese used rags. -
600
Printing
The invention of paper made another key development possible: printing. The printer drew first characters ( symbols) on paper. -
750
Paper Money
With the same technique as game cards, they were invented by wood blocks. These bills would have many colors. -
750
Mechanical Clocks
The clock was accurate than earlier timekeeping devices. The Chinese devised a wheel that made one complete turn every 24 hours. -
850
Gunpowder
Chinese alchemists looking for a substance that would allow you to live forever accidentally create gunpowder. -
1300
Game Cards
Printers used woodblock printing to make the cards from thick paper. Famous artists design on the back of the cards.
