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Period: 150 to Feb 12, 1400
CE
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300
Industry: Steel
Steel is made from iron, but it is less brittle than iron and easier to bend into different shapes. Steel is a great deal stronger than iron. -
400
Exploration and Travel: Magnetic Compass
A magnetic compass is a magnetized needle that aligns itself with Earth’s magnetic poles so that one end points north and the other south. -
Feb 12, 650
Industry: Paper
For more than 500 years, Chinese were the only people in the world who knew the secret of making paper. The Europeans later learned in 1100. The Chinese invented the art of papermaking in the 2nd Century CE. -
Feb 17, 700
Industry: Tea
For several thousand years, tea was made by letting tea leaves steep in boiling water, it was drunk mostly as medicine. -
Feb 17, 700
Everyday Objects: Mechanical Clock
The Chinese developed the first mechanical clock in about the 8th century. The chinese improved the mechanical clock in 1092 during the song dynasty. The clocks were designed to make a bell sound at every hour. -
Feb 12, 850
Military: Gunpowder
Alchemists accidentally created gunpowder when experimenting with salpeter trying to find a substance that would allow us to live forever. -
Feb 17, 900
Military: Flame Thrower
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. -
Feb 12, 1100
Industry: Porcelain
Porcelain ,another chinese invention is a type of fine pottery. China produced the first porcelain in as early as the 1st Century CE. Porcelain is made by combining clay with the minerals quartz and feldspar. -
Feb 17, 1279
Military: Rocket Technology
Rocket technology was developed in China during the Song dynasty (1279). Rockets were powered by a black powder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur.
