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Period: 3000 BCE to Dec 31, 1400
Chinese History
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2700 BCE
Tea
The Chinese also invented tea. They made this by letting leaves steep in boiling water. Even though they invented this in 2700 b.c, they only drank it for medical purposes until in the 8th century, when tea houses started to pop up and people would drink it regularly. INDUSTRY -
200 BCE
Steel
The steel that the chinese made was made from cast iron. The chinese were the first to learn how to cast iron by melting it and molding it. This steel was easier to bend and less brittle than steel now. INDUSTRY -
150
Watertight compartments in Ships
the chinese also invented separate watertight compartments. They divided the ships into sections and sealed each one off with caulk. If there was a leak, the rest of the ship would be sealed off. Ship builders still use this technique. Exploration/travel -
150
Paper
The chinese invented making paper and kept it a secret for almost 500 years! They used hemp and the bark of the mulberry tree to make paper. Later they started using rags to make paper. INDUSTRY -
250
The compass
The first chinese compasses consisted of lodestone, wood, and a bowl of water. You would put the lodestone on a a slab of wood and float it in a bowl of water and the earth is the big magnetic with the most magnetic activity being at the poles, so the lodestone would float toward the north pole. EXPLORATION/TRAVEL -
400
The Paddleboat
The Boat that the chinese invented gave birth to canoes and kayaks. the Chinese adapted this idea by arranging 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. These perfected river travel. Exploration/travel -
Feb 13, 850
Gunpowder
Chinese alchemists accidentally discovered gunpowder when they were using saltpeter to try and find the secret to immortality. MILITARY TECH. -
Feb 15, 1100
Bombs And Cannonballs
The Chinese used gunpowder for a lot of other things too. They invented explosive cannonballs that would be tossed off of a catapault, and also bombs. These would be lit to ignite the saltpeter and then be thrown. They invented a lot of bombs between the 11th and 13th centuries. MILITARY TECH. -
Feb 15, 1200
Rockets
First, the rockets were only used as fireworks, but later, the rockets were used for the military. By 1300, rockets spread through Europe. The Chinese made these rockets with saltpeter to propel the rocket. Military rockets had arrows too. MILITARY TECH.
