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150
Exploration: Boat Construction
The Chinese made sea travel safer by improving boat
construction. They started building ships with separate, watertight compartments. Modern shipbuilders still use this technique. -
150
Industry: Paper
The earliest versions of paper were most likely made from hemp and then the bark of the mulberry tree. It became an important industry in China. The Chinese were the only people in the world who knew how to make paper. Knowledge of papermaking eventually traveled to Japan and across Central Asia. -
Period: 200 to Dec 31, 1400
Chinese Discoveries
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250
Exploration: Compass
The Chinese made the first compasses out of a magnetic mineral called lodestone which is influenced by Earth’s magnetic poles. They made traveling by sea much easier since they had a clearer sense of direction. -
450
Exploration: Paddlewheel Boat
Chinese got this idea by arranging different paddles in a wheel. People walked on a treadmill to turn the paddlewheel which moved through the water much faster than other boats. -
Jan 1, 650
Industry: Printing
The invention of paper is what made printing possible. They started with woodblock printing and eventually printed modern-style books. -
Jan 1, 850
Military: Gunpowder
In 850 CE alchemists recorded a formula for gunpowder which they most likely found accidentally.Weapons were soon made using the gunpowder. -
Jan 1, 950
Industry: Porcelain
Porcelain is made by combining clay with quartz and feldspar. It is baked in a kiln at high temperatures. The resulting pottery is white, hard, and waterproof. It soon became a major industry in China. -
Jan 1, 950
Military: Flamethrower
The Chinese made the first weapon that used gunpowder which was the flamethrower. Early flamethrowers contained gunpowder mixed with oil. They were used to spray enemies with a stream of fire. -
Jan 1, 1115
Military: Rocket Technology
Rockets were powered by a powder made of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. First, rockets were used only in fireworks but were evetually used as weapons.
