There are a thousand and one ancient China inventions. These include the 4 Great Inventions such as the gun powder, papermaking, the compass, and printing (of both the woodblock and the movable type). We are going to review some of the other ancient Chinese inventions.
The Chinese are famed for inventing technologies that involved mathematics, mechanics and hydraulics. These were later applied to metallurgy, horology, agriculture, astronomy, music theory, engineering, nautics, craftsmanship and even warfare.
By the 403–221 BC, they had metallurgic technologies that include blast furnaces and cupola furnaces, while the forge and finery puddling process were common as ancient China inventions by 202 BC – AD 220.
Sophisticated economic systems in China led to such inventions as paper money between 960–1279. Similarly, gunpowder ranked among these ancient China inventions by the C10th leading to such inventions as land mines, fire lances, naval mines, hand cannons, exploding cannon balls, multistage rockets and some rocket bombs that had aerodynamic wings with explosive payloads. Then, the navigational aid that the 11th century compasses provided and increased ability to steer at high seas with the sternpost rudder, pre- modern Chinese sailors managed to reach Eastern Africa and Egypt.
In water powered clock works, the pre modern Chinese had made use of the escapement mechanism and the endless power transmitting chain drive. They also managed to make large mechanical puppet- theaters driven by water wheels and carriage wheels. Some wine -serving automatons were also driven by paddled wheel boats as part of these ancient China inventions.
The Peili gang and Pengtou shan cultures now present the oldest Neolithic cultures of China. They were formed around the 7000 BC. Some inventions of prehistoric China include semi lunar and rectangular knives of stone, hoes and even spades. They also cultivated millets and rice and the soy bean. Sericulture was also refined as was the building of earth structures which has lime plastered floors. The potter’s wheel was created leading to pottery with cord mat basket designs and the development of ceremonial vessels and scapu-limancy for purposes of divination.
Cultivation is the other great ancient China inventions. There was widespread domestication with cultivation of dry land cereal crops that gave high yields suggesting that the plow was common to the Chinese. This allowed for population increase in China.
Later ancient China inventions like the multiple tube seed drill and the heavy mold board iron plow enabled the agricultural output in China to actually sustain larger populations than in any other part of the world.
There are many other ancient China inventions that were developed within the bounds of China. These are many and varied and do not actually include the technologies that the Chinese acquired by contact with other civilizations. These include the windmill of the Middle Eastern regions and the telescope that came from Europe.
Finally, the ancient China inventions do not include technologies that were developed elsewhere before being invented on separate basis in China. These included the chain pump and the odometer. Still, mathematic, scientific and natural discoveries with changes in some of the minor concepts from the style or style and the artistic innovations from China are not regarded it be part of these inventions.