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Description: Camels have been in use since the early years, but as better camel saddles were developed, camels became the most favored beasts of travel and military use, especially in Arabia.
Significance: Better camel saddles enable camels to carry heavier loads than before, and as a result, trade was also increased. -
Description: No matter how it got to Constantinople, silkworms helped add another product to Byzantine trade. They used similar techniques that the Chinese used, so Byzantine silk also came to have high demands.
Significance: Byzantine later became the principle supplier of silk, especially since Chinese silk came from so far away. As a result, Byzantine economy grew quickly. -
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Description: Sui Yangdi completed work for the Grand Canal that helped facilitate trade between the North and South of China. Crops from either side could then be moved faster than before, which helped integrate the economies of the two sides of China
Significance: Although the construction cost a lot for the state, it eventually gave back. The Grand Canal became the most important link for the North and the South, and helped establish political and economic foundation, especially for trade. -
Description: After Islamic forces defeated a Chinese army and took prisoners skilled in paper production, Islam began to produce paper for themselves. It was much cheaper to produce that other methods that they attemped in the past.
Significance: Paper helped with keeping records and helped with the spread of books. By the tenth century, paper mills spread throughout Eurasia. -
Descrption: Water mills started to be used a lot in the Early Medieval Europe. They took advantage of the water to generate energy renewable energy.
Significance: Using watermills helped free human and animal energy for other work, which helped agricultural productivity. -
Description: Heavy plows were eventually developed to replace Mediterranean plows in Europe. They were more expensive, but they helped to turn soil a lot better than the older styled plows.
Significance: Although it was a lot heavier, the heavy plow could be attached to oxen. The increased effect on the soils helped to increase agricultural production, and eventually helped increase European population -
Description: Trade grew so rapidly during the Tang and Song Dynasties that China had a shortage of coins. To help remediate that, new alternatives were invented, such as paper money. But because of poor management, merchants did not honor the notes. As a result, the government had to step in to help manage the money thenselves.
Significance: Although printed money did have its drawbacks, like the loss of public confidence in it, eventually it became a cataylst for Chinese economy. -
From 500-1000 CE, the states of the Post Classical era had a steady increase in popluation, continued to create new technology that increased agricultural surplus, but created a new economical systems that differed greatly from systems from before.
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Description: During the Tang and Song Dynasties, people developed higher quality porcelain that was greatly prized in other societies, even though many other societies could produce porcelain for themselves.
Significance: Chinese reputation for "chinaware" ultimately helped boost China's economy. The demand for Chinese porcelain meant that they had to continuously ship out new products, which also meant money in return. -
Description: When Tang Daoist alchemists were searching for a elixer for long-life, they accidentally made gunpower. At first gunpowder was used in weapons that had limited military effectiveness, but it eventually diffused throughout Eurasia.
Significance: Gunpower is an important invention in China, but it will not be used until a much later time. -
Description: Fast ripening rice was introduced to China from Vietnam at around the Song Dynasty. This kind of rice grew faster and helped increase the surplus in China
Significance: The fast ripening rice gave China the surplus it needed for the population to boom. The Song Dynasty benefitted greatly from this new strain of Rice.
