CHINAS TECHNOLOGY Discovering Chinese Technology Ancient Chinese ingenuity

CHINA’S TECHNOLOGY

Discovering Chinese Technology Ancient Chinese ingenuity lead to the development of new products and processes. Through cultural connections, these new innovations eventually reached the West and changed European practices. Chinese inventions have changed the modern world. Many of these inventions are still in use today.

Compass

COMPASS – 220 B. C. E • Was made of iron oxide which is also known as lodestone and magneta • The lodestone was carved into the shape of a spoon which was then placed on a flat plate of bronze • As the plate was moved, the lodestone moved around pointing to the south (today’s compasses point to the north) • USED FOR ALIGNING BUILDINGS (FENG SUI) AND FORTUNE TELLING • IT WAS PERFECTED DURING THE SONG DYNASTY (1000 S) AND HELPED SAILERS NAVIGATE SHIPS AND SAIL FARTHER FROM LAND

Paper

PAPER MAKING – 206 B. C. E. -220 C. E. Used linen to make paper and cloth Very time consuming and costly and labor intensive USES FLAX SEEDS TO MAKE LINEN Flax seeds were hard to grow – must have perfect weather and harvest plants by hand • STEPS: ROT THE FIBER, SEPARATE THE FIBER, SPIN, AND WEAVE LINEN, AND COMPRESS INTO LAYERS • •

Printing Press

WOODBLOCK PRINTING – 700 S C. E. • Wood for printing blocks usually came from date or pear trees. Text to be printed was first written on a sheet of paper. • PAPER WAS GLUED TO A WOOD BLOCK AND WITH A KNIFE CHARACTERS WERE ENGRAVED ON WOOD • THE WOOD BLOCK WAS THEN INKED AND COVERED WITH PAPER AND TEXT WAS PRINTED BY GENTLY BRUSHING THE PAPER • was mainly used for printing books on agriculture, medicine, calendars • LED TO SPREAD OF BUDDHISM

Movable Type

MOVABLE TYPE – 1000 S • Movable type was created by Pi Sheng • USED INDIVIDUAL WOODEN PIECES THAT COULD BE ARRANGED TO FORM SENTENCES • Used Chinese characters instead of an alphabet • Made printing much faster

Gunpowder

Blast Furnace

Matches It was invented in the 500’s. They were used by servant ladies who needed to light cooking and heating fires. Little pine sticks with sulfur on the tips were used to light fires. Matches in Europe were not used until the 1500’s.

Rockets were invented in China between the 1000 -1100’s. The first rocket was a bundle of fireworks attached to a bamboo stick with an arrowhead at the tip. Feathers and weights were used to balance the rocket. Rockets were not seen in Europe until the late 1300’s. Rocket

GUNPOWDER AND CANNONS– 800 S C. E. • GUNPOWDER WAS CREATED BY TAOIST LEADERS WHO WANTED TO MAKE A MEDICINE THAT WOULD ALLOW EMPERORS TO LIVE FOREVER • Taoists leaders found that a combination of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal would explode when lit • One of the first weapons to use gunpowder was a fire lance (bamboo tubes filled with the powder and attached to a spear and then thrown at the enemy) and small cannons • First cannons – the Chinese realized that could fill the lances with stones and pottery which would shoot out when ignited and the spear was no longer needed

Paper Money Paper money was invented in the 800’s. It was called flying money because it was so light it could blow out of the one’s hand. A special paper was placed on a metal plate with ink and the paper is stamped to become currency. In Europe it was used in the 1600’s.

Silk was one of the most valuable items produced by Ancient China. Silk The making of silk began around 600 B. C. Most silk is made from the cocoons of the caterpillar, also known as silkworm. When silkworms spin their cocoons, the fibers they create to make a cocoon are silk. The cocoon is twisted into thread. The thread is then used to make fabrics. Silk was so popular that the a 4000 mile long road from China to Europe was called the Silk Road.

CHINESE TREASURE FLEET SHIPS (1000 C. E. ) • CHINESE SHIPS - LARGE SHIPS CALLED JUNKS WITH LARGE RUDDERS AND MANY SAILS AND A MAGNETIC COMPASS THAT COULD SAIL TO INDIA AND SOUTHEAST ASIA • Treasure fleet ships were larger than European caravels and could hold 1, 000 people

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS • AGRICULTURE: PRODUCTION OF SILK (200 S B. C. E. ), TEA (700 S C. E. ), AND CHAMPAS RICE (1000 S C. E. ) • GRAND CANAL – FIRST BUILT AROUND 200 S C. E. • TECHNOLOGY: COAL TO REPLACE WOOD AS FUEL AND USED TO HEAT IRON TO MAKE STEEL -MADE STRONGER ARMOR AND SWORDS (700 S C. E. ) • ARTS: RISE OF POETRY, LANDSCAPE PAINTING, CALLIGRAPHY, AND PORCELAIN (200 S C. E. – 700 S C. E. )

This device was invented in the 100’s. Because China has always experienced earthquake, inventing a device to read the magnitude was important. The first seismograph looked like a large vase. On the outside of the device were 8 dragonheads, facing the 8 main sections on the compass. Below each dragonhead was a toad with its mouth open. The mouth of each dragon held a metal ball and when an earthquake occurred, a ball would fall out of the dragon’s mouth. It could detect an earthquake up to 400 miles away. Seismograph

Mold Board Plow This type of plow was invented in the third century BC. Farmers used this plow for turning and the soil before planting the corps. This plow had an iron plate in the center that ended in sharp point. This point was used for cutting into the soil.

The Chinese invented umbrellas. They were made from oilpaper and attached to bamboo stick frames. The royalty used red and yellow umbrellas and the common people used blue umbrellas. Umbrella

Helicopter Rotor

Wheelbarrow It was first invented in the first century B. C. The wheelbarrow was used to help farmers Carry piles of crops from one area to another. It was not used in Europe until 1000’s.

Abacus

Kite Between the fourth and fifth century B. C. kites were invented in China. The first kites were shaped like birds. They could fly up to 3 days. Kites were not seen in Europe until 1589.

Chinese Inventions Abacus Moveable type Blast furnace (cast iron) Paper Compass Paper money Gunpowder Printing Press Helicopter rotor Rockets Kite Seismograph Matches Silk Moldboard plow Umbrella Wheelbarrow