Ancient Chinese Inventions

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Ancient Chinese Inventions Professor Trussell Humanities 101-World Cultures 1 11/24/2013 China has a history consisting of mechanics, mathematics, astronomy, agriculture, naval architecture and warfare. Some of the most amazing and important inventions originated in China. In Ancient china, there were quite a few time periods or dynasties in which each invention was invented. Some of the dynasties are the Qin dynasty, Han dynasty, Era of disunity, Sui dynasty, Tang dynasty, the Five dynasties period, the song dynasty and the Yuan dynasty. Each dynasty has its own inventions. Some of the inventions are writing, money, silk, papermaking, iron technology, compass, helicopter rotor and propeller, printing, gunpowder, and guns and cannons. These inventions are extremely important due to the fact that we use some forms today. During the Qin dynasty (approx. 221-207 B.C.) inventions were writing and the compass. Writing was standardized to permit the people throughout china to read documents. The compass was invented to enable the Chinese to indentify the directions needed. The compass was “chiseled out of magnetic lodestone in the shape of a ladle or spoon. Its handle will point south when put on the smooth Earth Plate used for divination, which contains 24 directions based on the magnetic meridian direction” as explained by cultural china. This compass was very complicated but throughout the years this invention was improved and made easier to use. Another dynasty is the Han dynasty (approx. 202 B.C. -A.D. 220). During this dynasty there were a lot of inventions also. To name a few there was iron technology, papermaking and silk. The iron technology in ancient China resulted in the invention of the plow. The plow allowed the ancient Chinese to somewhat prosper in agriculture. Paper back in ancient China was used for recording important events and
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