Inventions
A bit more fun than many of the topics herein, the Chinese invented an important number of things the world now takes for granted, and it is worth knowing about them.
Silk, earliest spinning of
2850 BCE
Alcohol made from grain by a special fermentation process
15th century BCE
Decimal place value
13th century BCE
Nova, recorded observation of
13th century BCE
Lacquer
13th century BCE
Mirror with "light penetration surface"
11th century BCE
Free reed
1000 BCE
Chimes, stone
9th century BCE
Coinage
9th century BCE
Mouth~organs
9th century BCE
Fumigation
7th century BCE
Handcarts
681 BCE
Bellows, double-acting piston-tuned bronze
6th century BCE
Chopsticks
600 BCE
Crop rotation
6th century BCE
Acupuncture
580 BCE
Belt drive
5th century BCE
Cast iron
5th century BCE
Collapsible umbrella and other items
5th century BCE
Crossbow
5th century BCE
Metals, to oxides, burning of
5th century BCE
Mining, square sets for
5th century BCE
Mining, differential pressure ventilation
5th century BCE
Bridges, releasable
4th century BCE
Cast iron—malleable
4th century BCE
Chess
4th century BCE
Equilibrium, theory of
4th century BCE
Kite
4th century BCE
Ladders, extendable
4th century BCE
Mangonel
4th century BCE
Prospecting, geological
4th century BCE
Refraction
4th century BCE
Arcuballista, multiple-bolt
320 BCE
Advisory vessels
3rd century BCE
Antimalarial drugs
3rd century BCE
Asbestos woven into cloth
3rd century BCE
Blast furnace
3rd century BCE
Bowl, bronze water-spouting
3rd century BCE
Crossbow, bronze triggers
300 BCE
Gabions
3rd century BCE
Great Wall of China
3rd century BCE
Distillation, of mercury
3rd century BCE
Moxibustion
3rd century BCE
Paper (invention of)
300 BCE
Maps, topographical
3rd century BCE
Sluices
3rd century BCE
Harness, breast strap
250 BCE
Guan xien system
240 BCE
Ball bearings
2nd century BCE
Balloon principle
2nd century BCE
Blood, distinction between arterial and venous
2nd century BCE
Blood, theory of circulation
2nd century BCE
Gold, purple sheen
200 BCE
Deep drilling and use of natural gas as fuel
2nd century BCE
Disease, diurnal rhythms in
2nd century BCE
Fertilizers
2nd century BCE
Mills, edge-runner
200 BCE
Mold board
2nd century BCE
Paper, Wrapping
2nd century BCE
Cardan suspension
140 BCE
Hygrometer
120 BCE
Hodometer
110 BCE
Bronze rainbow teng (camphor still)
1st century BCE
Cereals, preservation of stored
1st century BCE
Crank handle
1st century BCE
Furnace, reverberatory
1st century BCE
Diabetes, association with sweet and fatty foods
1st century BCE
Downdraft
1st century BCE
Diked/poldered fields
1st century BCE
Rotary fan
1st century BCE
Seed, pretreatment of
1st century BCE
Ships, construction principle of
lst century BCE
Drum carriage
10 BCE
Calipers
CE 9
Ever-normal granary system
CE 9
Interconversion of longitudinal and rotary motion
CE 31
Gear wheels, chevron-toothed
CE 50
Seawalls
CE 80
Lodestone, south-pointing ladle
CE 83
Algorithm for extraction of square and cube roots
1st century CE
Anchor, nonfouling, stockless
1st century CE
Axial rudder
1st century CE
Bean curd
CE 100
Coal, as a fuel
1st century CE
Coal, dust, briquettes from
1st century CE
Draw loom
1st century CE
Mountings, vertical and horizontal
lst century CE
Negative numbers, operations using
1st century CE
Noodles (filamentous) including bread
CE 100
Sails, mat and hatten
1st century CE
Astronomical clock drive
CE 120
Grid technique, quantitative, used in cartography
CE 130
Seismograph
CE 132
Seed drill, multiple-tube
CE 155
Air-conditioning fan
CE 180
Abacus
CE 190
Magic squares
CE 190
Dragon kiln
2nd century CE
Ephedrine
2nd century CE
Pearl fishing conservancy
2nd century CE
Pacrong {cupronickel>
CE 230
Rotary ballista
CE 240
Firecrackers
CE 290
Anemometer
3rd century CE
Folding chairs
3rd century CE
Dial and pointer
3rd century CE
Diseases, deficiency
3rd century CE
Metals, densities of
3rd century CE
Masts, multiple
3rd century CE
Reel on fishing rod
3rd century CE
Helicopter top
CE 320
Mill, Wagon
CE 340
Mills, edge-runner, Water-power applied
4th century CE
indeterminate analysis
4th century CE
Boats and ships, paddle-wheel
CE 418
Melodic composition
CE 475
Harness, collar
CE 477
Arcuballista, multiple-spring
5th century CE
Magic mirrors
5th century CE
Ships, paddle-wheel
5th century CE
Gluten from wheat
CE 530
Bookcase, vertical axis
CE 544
Matches (nonstriking)
CE 577
Holing-irons
CE 584
Paper, toilet
CE 589
Bridges, iron-chain suspension
6th century CE
Bridges, Li Chhun's segmental arch
CE 610
Comet tails, observation of direction of
CE 635
Recording of sun halves,parhelic specters, and Lowitz arcs
CE 635
Metal amalgams used to fill cavities
CE 659
Gravimetry
CE 712
Clockwork escapement of Yi Xing and Liang Lingzan
CE 725
Leeboards and centerboards
CE 751
Parachute principle
8th century CE
Grafting
CE 806
Book, scientific, printed
CE 847
Book, printed, first to be dated
CE 868
Roller-harrows
CE 880
Gunpowder, formula for
9th century CE
Oil lamps, economic
9th century CE
Paper, money
9th century CE
Flamethrower (double-acting force pump for liquids)
CE 919
Firelance
CE 950
Magnetism, used in medicine
CE 970
Chain drive
CE 976
Silk warp doubling and throwing frame
10th century CE
Compass, floating fish
CE 1027
Magnetic declination noted
CE 1040
Magnetic thermoremanence and induction
CE 1044
Salvage, underwater
CE 1064
Erosion and sedimentary deposition, knowledge of
CE 1070
Camera obscura, explanation of
CE 1086
Maps, relief
CE 1086
Pearls in oysters, artificial induction of
CE 1086
Clocks, Su Sung's
CE 1088
Compass, magnetic needle
CE 1088
Silk reeling machine
CE 1090
Anatomy
11th century CE
"Seedling horse"
11th century CE
Pascal triangle of binomial coefficients
CE 1100
Compass, magnetic, used for navigation
CE 1111
Pasteurization of Wine
CE 1117
Dominoes
CE 1120
Handgun
CE 1128
Bomb, thrown from a trebuchet
CE 1161
Dating of trees by number of rings
12th century CE
Gunpowder, firecracker and fireworks
12th century CE
Knife, rotary disk, for cutting jade
12th century CE
Bomb, cast-iron
CE 1221
Gauges, rain and snow
CE 1247
Numerical equations of higher order, solution of
13th century CE
Rocket arrow
13th century CE
Multiple-spindle silk-twisting frame
CE 1313
Beriberi, recognition of
CE 1330
Rocket arrows, winged
CE 1360
Rockets, two-stage
CE 1360
Rocket arrow launchers
CE 1367
Clocks, sand
CE 1370
Gunpowder, government's department and monopoly on
14th century CE
Esculentist movement (edible plants for time of famine)
CE 1406
Magnetic variation observed
CE 1436
Equal temperament, mathematical formulation of
CE 1584
Hot streak test
CE 1596
Paper, wall
16th century CE
Sailing carriage
16th century CE
Ginning machine, hand-cranked, and treadle
17th century CE
Malt sugar, production of
1st millennium BCE
High temperatures,firing of clay at
2nd millennium BCE
Bell, pottery
3rd millennium BCE
Cooking pots, heat economy in
3rd millennium BCE
Gunpowder, used in mining
Ming
Bookworm repellent
Bread, steamed
Bronze, high tin, for mirror production
Flame test
Differential pressure
Dishing of carriage wheel
Qin and se zither