Ancient Chinese inventions (10 photos + text)

It is known that China has a very ancient history - from the period of feudalism, which ended in 222 BC, to modern times, through three eras of emperors - almost 4000 years of varied events and scientific research. It is no longer a secret that China is the birthplace of many inventions - from spaghetti to gunpowder. In this article, I will tell you about some uniquely Chinese inventions that were used in China for a long time before being copied and used by Western civilization. Inventions occur in more or less chronological order.

Row farming (feudal period, until 6th century BC)

The Chinese began planting grain crops in rows as early as the 6th century BC. This technique helps plants develop faster and produce greater yields. In addition, such beds are more convenient to water and cultivate, and the harvest is more active. If trees are planted in this way, then this forest belt will be able to protect housing from destructive hurricane winds. It took Western culture more than 2000 years to realize these features. In the ancient Chinese manuscript “Chronicles of Spring and Autumn,” a certain Master Lu teaches: “If plants grow in rows, then they develop at lightning speed because they do not interfere with each other. It is necessary to make horizontal and vertical lines as even as possible and orient them in the direction of wind movement.” It was written in 240 BC

Compass (feudal period, before 4th century BC)

The Chinese used the first directional compasses made from the mineral magnetite at least as early as the 4th century BC. These devices were designed to predict and find directions. Back in the 4th century BC. a famous shaman in China (or whatever they were called there) wrote: “magnetite causes the attraction of iron, calling it.” A compass, similar to the one shown in the photo, consisted of a magnetite spoon and a bronze plate-plate. The first marine compasses using magnetized needles were made one and a half thousand years later, in 1040, becoming widespread only by the middle of the 12th century. The phenomenon of remanent magnetization, which allowed these compasses to work, was “reinvented” another 500 years later, in 1600, by William Gilbert.

Seeder (Han Dynasty, 202 BC - 220 AD)

A mechanical seeder was used to plant the seeds at a uniform depth and cover them evenly with soil. When sowing by hand, plants grow crowded and unorganized, which leads to a decrease in yield. Chinese farmers used mechanical seeding devices as early as the second century BC. The first documented use of a mechanical seeder in Europe was recorded in 1566, which is confirmed by a patent in the name of Camillo Torello. Mechanical seeders became widespread only in the mid-nineteenth century.

Iron Plow (Han Dynasty, 202 BC - 220 AD)

The invention and use of a plow with metal moldboards is considered a significant achievement of the farmers of Ancient China. There is evidence that such plows were used in China in the 4th century BC, but more conservative historians believe that such equipment became widespread during the reign of the Han dynasty, i.e. 200 years later. The design of the plow used special spacer beams, which made it possible to adjust the distance at which the plow “digs” into the ground. Such plows were unknown in “enlightened” Europe until the 17th century AD, that is, for at least 2 thousand years!

Deep Drilling (Han Dynasty, 202 BC - 220 AD)

In the first century BC. The Chinese invented a method of deep well drilling, which made it possible to make holes in the ground up to 1500 meters deep. The drilling principle is similar to that used in modern drilling rigs, while the towers for attaching the tools reached a height of 60 meters. Craftsmen laid out stones with holes in the center to guide the tool (for which guide tubes are now used). Then, using hemp ropes and bamboo power structures, they regularly dropped and raised the iron drill until it reached the required depth, where the natural gas layer was located. This gas was used as fuel to evaporate seawater to produce salt. The gas thus obtained was transferred through a bamboo gas pipeline to the place of its use. There is documentary evidence that gas was also used for lighting. In modern times, deep drilling began to be used for industrial purposes during the industrial revolution in the mid-18th century.

Ship's rudder (Han Dynasty, 202 BC - 220 AD)

Chinese “sea” achievements far surpassed those of their contemporaries, and were achieved many centuries earlier than those of Western civilization. The first documented use of a rudder to change the course of a ship dates back to 1190, and in China this method of steering has been known since the first century AD, that is, a thousand years earlier! This is precisely the age of detailed clay models of ships, depicting an axial suspended rudder (slung axial rudder), which allows you to rise and control the ship in shallow water. Later, the Chinese began to use a more convenient design of the balance rudder (the terms are loosely translated), which the British began to use only in 1843 - 1700 years later. In the 13th century, Chinese sailors used a perforated rudder, which Western civilization “came to” only at the beginning of the 19th century. Such rudders have reduced resistance to water flow, and they are used to control the movement of high-speed vessels (as well as torpedoes)

Horse Harness (Separation Era, 220-581)

Different types of harness have been used by people since ancient times for use in carts and sleighs. The disadvantage of their design was that a lot of pressure was created on the horse's neck, which reduced its endurance and speed of movement. In the early feudal period in China (according to the found drawings), the breast yoke began to be used. During the Han Dynasty, the yoke was made from soft straps and spread throughout China. In the fifth century, the design became even more efficient by placing the load on the horses on the shoulders (as pictured). This harness design appeared in Europe only in 970 - almost five centuries later. Its introduction made it possible to significantly increase agricultural productivity.

Porcelain (Sui Dynasty, 581-618)

Porcelain is a special type of ceramic that is produced by high-temperature firing in a special oven. In this process, the material is sintered and transformed into a type of glass that is durable, light, and beautiful. It is known that porcelain was made in China during the Sui Dynasty (581–618), but it may have happened even earlier. The technology became increasingly better during the Tang Dynasty (618–906) when white clay from the Yangtze River was used to make porcelain. During the Sung Dynasty (960–1279), the art of porcelain making reached its peak. In Europe, it was not until 1708 that the German physicist Tschirnhausen “invented” porcelain technology, ending the Chinese porcelain monopoly. The photo shows a black glazed tea cup with a leaf design made during the Sung Dynasty, circa 1127-1279.

Toilet paper (Song Dynasty, 960-1279)

It is known that paper was invented in China, and its first use for hygienic purposes dates back to the Sui Dynasty in 589. In 851, an Arab traveler wrote with amazement that the Chinese used paper instead of water to cleanse the body. At the beginning of the 14th century, about 700,000 sheets of paper were produced annually in reams of 1,000 to 10,000 pieces. For comparison, in colonial America at the beginning of the 18th century (400 years later), corn leaves were widely used for hygiene needs. Commercial toilet paper appeared only in the mid-19th century, and one of the manufacturers specified that it was “almost without splinters” (tin!). Interestingly, the ancient Romans used a stick with a sponge at one end for such purposes.

Movable type seal (Song dynasty, 960-1279)

The first printed book was created around 868. 100 years later, master Bi Sheng (990?1051, pictured above). Using fired clay removable letters, he invented the technology of removable type and developed the basic intricacies of typography using them. The technology was constantly improved, which took almost 300 years. By contrast, the Gutenberg Bible, considered the first European printed book using variable type, was made in the mid-15th century. It is noteworthy that the Chinese did not use metal letters until the late 15th century.

Apparently, everything that was invented before the last 100 years can be safely attributed to the Chinese; it’s hard to make a mistake. This is a fantastically diverse nation that not only makes cheap jeans and unreliable cars, but also (at least used to) invent a lot of useful and even irreplaceable things. How do you think?