Stem Seals
Stem Seals”
Did you know that four of the world’s most important inventions were discovered in China? The Chinese celebrate the “four great inventions” that demonstrate the advanced science and technology that China had in ancient times: paper, the compass, printing, and gunpowder.
Modern Chinese scholars believe that in addition to the four great inventions, there are others that were even more sophisticated and that made a greater impact on the world we live in today. Some of these include the blast furnace and the cupola furnace which were invented from 403 to 221 B.C. Stern mounted rudders were invented in China in the 1st century A.D. Later in Chinese history came the use of paper money (Song Dynasty 960 to 1279 A.D.), the land mine, the naval mine, exploding cannon balls, multistage rockets, and many others. China has a rich heritage of inventions centered on science and often led the world with their technological advancements.
The Compass
It is believed that the first magnetic compass was constructed during the Qin dynasty (221 to 206 B.C.). A 4th century B.C. book referenced the lodestone (a mineral made out of iron oxide) and how it attracted iron to itself.
- A book written during the Song Dynasty (1040 to 1044 A.D.) referred to a magnetic direction finder in the form of an iron “south-pointing fish” that floated in a bowl of water. The direction finder was recommended to be used to find direction in the dark and would always point south.
- In 1088 the first magnetized needle was described in Chinese literature by Shen Kuo.
- The first recorded use of the compass for navigating ships was written by Zhu Yu in 1111 to 1117.
- The Song and Yuan dynasties also described how a dry compass could be used but the wet compass (the magnetic needle floating in a bowl of water) was more popular in China.
Gunpowder
Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) was known to the Chinese by the mid 1st century A.D. and used with sulfur for medical purposes. In 492 A.D. a Chinese alchemical text noted that saltpeter gave off a purple flame when ignited. Later texts described “hands and faces have been burnt, and even the whole house where they were working burned down” after sulfur and saltpeter were heated together with other substances (800 A.D.).
Gunpowder (which is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter) was discovered in the 9th century by Chinese alchemists during their search for an elixir of immortality. (Alchemy is the study of the chemical properties of substances, with a mystical perspective. Ancient Alchemists laid much of the foundation of modern chemistry, which replaced alchemy during the 1800s). The Chinese went on to use gunpowder in their “flying fires” (flamethrowers) rockets, bombs, and mines. It is also believed that firearms were first invented in China in approximately 1100 A.D.
Paper
The word paper is derived from the name of the papyrus plant, which grows along the Nile River. Papyrus was used in Egypt (perhaps as early as 3500 B.C.) for writing on and was fragile and sensitive to moisture and dryness. The Egyptians would take sliced sections of the flower stem of the papyrus plant, press them together, and dry them. Parchment and vellum were also used as writing surfaces but were made from animal skins in a time consuming process.
Before paper was invented, the Chinese used bone or sewed together bamboo strips to write on. They also used silk but that was very expensive. It was previously believed that paper was invented around 105 A.D by Cai Lun (also called T’sai Lun) under Emperor Ho-Ti during the Han Dynasty. But recent archeological discoveries (2006) of paper with Chinese characters have suggested that paper was being used in 8 B.C. It has also been discovered that during the reign of Emperor Wu (Han dynasty), paper was used for wrapping and padding delicate mirrors and other objects.
Cai Lun’s recipe for paper consisted of hemp rags, water, fishnets, and chopped mulberry bark. It was pressed flat, the water was squeezed out and it was allowed to dry in the sun. Over the centuries, paper making spread to India, the Islamic world and finally in the 1200’s the Europeans.
Printing
Round cylinder seals, invented in Mesopotamia in approximately 3000 B.C., were one of the earliest printing methods used. These seals were rolled onto clay tablets to impress a message and dried.
Initially, woodblock printing was used to print patterns on textiles. In Egypt printing with woodblock on cloth was practiced before papyrus was used. The earliest printed woodblock fragments are from China (before 220 A.D.) and were images of flowers printed on silk. Woodblock printing was also used on paper later.
- The earliest paper with text and illustrations printed by woodblock was discovered in 1974 and is dated 650 to 670 A.D.
- The earliest surviving printed book (868 A.D.) is a Chinese scroll with text of the Diamond Sutra, but it is believed that book printing may have taken place long before this date.
- The first printing press was invented in China by 593 A.D.
- It is believed that the first newspaper was printed in approximately 700 A.D. in Beijing.
Cathy Diez-Luckie, Figures In Motion – Publisher of Captivating Activity Books for Children
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