# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Secret of the Silkworm: The Story of Ancient Chinese Silk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The official website of the FIFA Museum in Zurich, Switzerland.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Great Scroll of Ancient Chinese Inventions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An ice-cream-like food was first eaten in China in 618-97AD. King Tang of Shang, had 94 ice men who helped to make a dish of buffalo milk, flour and camphor.

A kind of ice-cream was invented in China about 200 BC when a milk and rice mixture was frozen by packing it into snow.

Roman emperors are supposed to have sent slaves to mountain tops to bring back fresh snow which was then flavoured and served as an early form of ice-cream.

The King of England, Charles I, is supposed to have offered his chef 500 a year to keep his ice-cream recipe a secret from the rest of England.

The explorer, Marco Polo (1254-1324), is believed to have seen ice-creams being made during his trip to China and introduced them to Italy.

Ice Cream sundaes were invented when it became illegal to sell ice-cream sodas on a Sunday in the American town of Evanston during the late 19th century. To get round the problem some traders replaced the soda with syrup and called the dessert an "Ice Cream Sunday." They replaced the final "y" with an "e" to avoid upsetting religious leaders.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
CBBC Newsround | ICE-CREAM | The origin of ice-cream

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An ice-cream-like food was first eaten in China in 618-97AD. King Tang of Shang, had 94 ice men who helped to make a dish of buffalo milk, flour and camphor. A kind of ice-cream was invented in China about 200 BC when a milk and rice mixture was frozen by packing it into snow.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Four Great Inventions of Ancient China | Compass, Gunpowder, Paper, Wood Block Printing

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Portable Shade: The Invention of the Umbrella

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The White Gold: The Secret of Ancient Chinese Porcelain

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Earth Shaker: The World’s First Seismograph

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The "Wooden Ox": How China Invented the Wheelbarrow

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Cool History of Ice Cream: A Sweet Chinese Invention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chinese History in 5 minutes | The Story of Cuju (Ancient football) Part I

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
An important invention of the ancient Chinese people was that of a fine, delicate material known as porcelain. It isn't one of the most famous inventions to come out of ancient China, such as gunpowder or printing, but porcelain was still one of the main exports in Chinese history.

Today, it is a popular souvenir for tourists and can be found in many markets and specialty stores throughout China.

What is porcelain made of?

The porcelain developed in China consists of a well vitrified ceramic. This ceramic is usually composed of a type of clay called kaolin. It can include ingredients such as: glass, bone, ash, quartz, and alabaster.

Why was porcelain first made in ancient China?

Chinese porcelain

The three essentials for porcelain are kaolin, fuel for high-temperature kilns, and glaze.

Even though China mastered the glaze technology several hundred years later than New Babylon, China possessed two essentials which other areas didn't have: abundant kaolin and forest resources.

When was porcelain invented?

Pottery first appeared in the Shang Dynasty (c.1600-1046 BCE). It's the primary foundation of porcelain craftsmanship. The porcelain production was started from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). Its production continued to be an important national art all the way up until the Qing Dynasty (1644 -1912), the last imperial Chinese dynasty.

The complete history of porcelain in China and the world is one of interest to history buffs, lovers of culture, and anyone with an interest in visiting China for themselves.

Chinese porcelain tableware

What was porcelain used for in ancient China?

There were many uses for the durable and beautiful material known as porcelain. In the ancient world porcelain was a necessity.

For everyday use, it was used to create cups, plates, and other useful items.

Exquisite, high-quality porcelains were usually housed as decoration or served as gifts.

It was also used to create decorative statues and ornate trinkets for the higher classes.

Why is porcelain called "China" in the West?

An apt stamp on porcelain: Chinese porcelain is known as "china".

Ever since the first pieces of porcelain were imported by traders to the western world, it has been uniquely associated with its land of origin. The name "china" comes from the fact that the China was the sole producer of porcelain in the ancient world.

From the Song Dynasty (960-1279) to the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Chinese porcelain created a mass fervor wherever it arrived and changed lifestyles with its practicality and desirability. Until today, there's no other product in the world that has achieved such a lasting influence for hundreds of years.

Porcelain in the Modern World

A Western-style porcelain tea set

Nowadays, mainland China and Hong Kong offer many museums and shops where you can view and buy ancient antique porcelain and porcelain artwork.

Aside from viewing the major collections in places like The Forbidden City, there are also markets devoted specifically to selling Chinese porcelain.

The Chinese art of porcelain making is considered with national pride to this day. In western nations, the material is often referred to simply as "China" due to its close connection to those who invented it.

Is One Type Of Porcelain Better Than Another?

There are different grades of porcelain, which is something to keep in mind when purchasing. The higher quality porcelains made in China are fired longer or more often than lower grades. The best Chinese porcelain is valued for its durability, thinness, and bright, colorful artwork.

How Does Chinese Porcelain Differ From The Japanese Variety?

In contrast, Japanese porcelain was generally thicker, had stilt marks or tiny bubbles on the underside of the pieces, and was often blandly colored. Chinese porcelain was known to be more artistic in nature and was prized over the Japanese varieties by foreign buyers.

Where To Buy Porcelain In China

Jingdezhen, Quanzhou, and Foshan in Guangdong, and Hong Kong are excellent places to go if you have an interest in viewing and/or buying authentic and high grade Chinese porcelain.

A Jingdezhen potter

Jingdezhen

Jingdezhen is still China's "porcelain capital," and you can join one of our tours. The Jingdezhen Ceramics Museum has one of the world's best collections of ancient porcelain.

Modern pieces are available for sale, and you might be able to watch masters at work.

Special products of the city include the white and blue 青花瓷 Qinghua Ci /ching-hwah tsuh/ and the rose porcelain 薄胎瓷 Botai Ci /bor-teye tsuh/.

Quanzhou

Quanzhou is known for the 德化瓷器 Dehua Ciqi /der-hwah tsuh-chee/ that became popular in the Ming era. A great place to go there is the Quanzhou Tourism Shopping Center 泉州旅游购物中心.

Foshan

Near China's mercantile capital of Guangzhou is the city of Foshan with a long history of porcelain production, ancient kilns to tour, and shops to buy both souvenirs and investment pieces.

You can tour the town of Shiwan 石湾 (shíwān) and the 500 year old Nanfeng Kiln.

Hong Kong

The Flagstaff Tea Museum in Hong Kong

Hong Kong is known for two fine museums: the Flagstaff Museum of Teaware and the Hong Kong Museum of Art. There have a representative selection of antique pieces from the various dynastic eras.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chinese Porcelain - FAQs, Types, Where to Buy It in China

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An important invention of the ancient Chinese people was that of a fine, delicate material known as porcelain. It isn't one of the most famous inventions to come out of ancient China, such as gunpowder or printing, but porcelain was still one of the main exports in Chinese history.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ancient Chinese were innovative and determinant. They ameliorated daily necessity, by creating and innovating some of the prestigious things in the human history. Ancient Chinese inventions were dated back from the Paleolithic period. They were always ahead of the world for creating valuable things. Chinese have bestowed the four greatest inventions in the world - compass, gunpowder, papermaking, and printing, which is celebrated as the four greatest Chinese invention even till today in the Chinese culture. There are lots of other inventions of Chinese that are marvelous. Here is the list of Top 18 (including 2 medieval period) inventions by Chinese that own numerous accolade.

16. Paper Making 50 AD - 121)

Humans had used different material like wood, stone, bone for writing. Around 2,200 BC Egyptian discovered a type of reed, which could be used for writing by overlapping thin strips that had to be soaked in the water for a long time. The Egyptian called the Reed "Papyrus".

The Paper was derived from the word Papyrus, which was invented in ancient China around 105 A.D during the reign of Han Emperor Ho-DI. The inventor of paper was Ts'ai Lun (or Chai Lun), an official of the Imperial Court. However, recent archeological survey indicates that the paper was already invented 200 years earlier, and was used by the ancient Chinese military. Ts'ai Lun used the bark of mulberry tree in fiber and pounded them into a sheet. Later, he discovered that the quality of the paper could be improved by adding rags hemp and old fish nets to the pulp. Soon, paper became the new mode of writing. Over the few years of the invention of the paper, it was widely in use all over the China. Later, the paper was carried out throughout the world via the Silk Road.

The invention of silk was dated back to the 4th millennium BCE during the Neolithic period. Apart from clothing, Silk was widely used in a variety of sectors including writing, fishing, and musical instruments. Silk was dominantly used by emperors and high-class society. Later, it became a part of Chinese society. During the Han dynasty, silk became more than a commodity. It was used as a reward for a worthy Chinese citizen or a government official.

Silk became the important part of the Chinese economy. Japan and the Middle East starts cultivating silk around 300 CE. The Crusades brought the concept of silk product in Western Europe and export it to rest of the Europe that resulted in an economic boom. Chinese silk started to degrade in value and there was the decrease in export. However, they dominate the luxury silk market till today.

14. Tea Production 2,737 BC

Tea was discovered in Ancient China by the Chinese emperor Shennong in 2737 BCE. Shennong liked to drink hot water. One day during his trip, he and his army stopped to rest. His servant prepared a hot boiling water for him. The brown leaf fell down into the water and the color of the water was changed into brown. The servant presents it to the emperor. He drank it and found it refreshing.

During the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE), Tea was used as a medicine. It was used as a beverage drink on social occasions from Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Tea was prepared differently in Ancient china than today's world. Tea leaves were processed and compressed into cake form. The dried teacake known as brick tea was ground in a stone mortar. The out coming powdered from the teacake was then boiled in a kettle or hot water was added to it. It was then served as a hot beverage. The white tea (compressed tea) was produced during Tang Dynasty. The white tea was harvested in the early spring, where the leaves of the tea were silver needles which were used to make the compressed (white) tea.

The Chinese were ahead than the rest of the world to produce silk. They took an advantage of it and built resilient bamboo for the lightweight framework and high tensile strength silk for flying line. The first kite was appeared in Ancient china in the 5th century BC from the Chinese philosophers Lu Ban and Mozi. By 549 A.D, paper kites were used to carry a message for a rescue mission. During the medieval period, the Chinese used kites for testing the wind, measuring distance, communication for military purpose.

See Also,
Top 10 Ancient Chinese Mythology
12. The Seed Drill 250 BC

Babylonians in the Ancient Mesopotamia invented the single tube drills around 1500 BC. It never reached to Europe or Asia. Chinese farmer generally used hand to plan the seed, which wasn't effective. Most of the seeds will never germinate because of the lack of a combination of pests and elements. Ancient Chinese find an alternative to this problem. During the reign of Zhou dynasty, they discovered an alternate planting practice that helped to grow crops more rapidly without interfering with each others.However, in the 2nd Century BC, Chinese invented a multi-tube iron seed drills that help them to produce food for larger populations.

11. Deep Drilling (2nd century BC)

The Chinese developed a drilling technology to extract brine under the earth's surface. It was developed in the landlocked province of Szechuan, around 1,200 miles from the sea to get salt from the boreholes. The deep drilling boreholes technology slowly improved and the ancient Chinese were able to extract natural gas from the boreholes. It was carried by a bamboo pipe to the destination, which was used as the fuel. By the 11th century, the Chinese were able to drill boreholes exceeding 3,000 feet in depth. The same technology was used to drill the first petroleum well in California in the 1860s

10. Porcelain

Porcelain was not the sudden inventions. The ancient prototype of porcelain exists dated from the reign of Shang Dynasty (1600 -1046 BC).However, it was perfected during the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and was exported to the Middle East. During the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D), the manufacturing of Porcelain was highly organized. It reached its new height. By the time of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) Porcelains were exported to the Europe, Africa and Asia via the Silk Road.

The Chinese considered south their cardinal direction. The original compass created by the Chinese using Lodestone point towards the south and was often called south pointers. Lodestone is a type of mineral magnetite that aligns itself with an Earth's magnetic field. Ancient Chinese discovered that the suspended lodestone could turn freely, and points towards magnetic poles. During Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), it was mainly used for Geomancy and fortune telling. In the 11 th century, during the Song Dynasty period, Chinese figure out that the loadstone that was primarily used as a divination tool could also be used to indicate a direction for travelers. In the book "The Shorter Science and Civilization in China, Volume 3 written by Needham, Joseph", it is stated that the Chinese began to use compass for navigation between 9th to 11th centuries

An Archeological survey in 2002 at the Lajia site of the Qijia culture discovered the 4000 years noodle made of grains from millet grass. The 50 cm long, yellow strands noodle was predicted to be 4,000 years old. Prior to this period, the earliest noodle was a food during the Han Dynasty. There was a huge controversy whether the Arabs, Italians or Chinese invented it first.

See Also,
Top 10 traditional Chinese foods
7. Alcoholic beverage

The consumption of the beer was started in ancient China around 9,000 years ago from the period of Neolithic people. They used rice, hawthorn, honey, and grapes to create the beer. The 4% to 5% alcoholic content beer was extremely popular during Yi Di and Du Kang of the Xia Dynasty .The various bronze vessels preserved from the Shang dynasty indicate that they consumed a warm alcohol.

6. Iron and steel smelting

During Paleolithic period, the Chinese had used bows and arrows, made of stone for fishing and farming. During the Neolithic period, the conflict started to emerge among different groups. The Chinese started to modify the tools that were used for farming and fishing to the deadliest war weapon for the battlefield. During Shang and Zhou periods, bronze melting was perfected to create different weapons, and tools for farming.

An Iron Age began in Ancient China during the Zhou dynasty (1050 BC－256 BC). Iron was heavily used for creating war weapons, farming tools, and household products. During the Han Dynasty (202 BC－220 AD), private iron making was abolished. The state start monopolized the iron smelting industry.

Chinese has used different techniques for creating Iron and steel weaponry. Their innovative techniques lead to the rapid growth of the iron and steel industry in China. They invented various casting process like crude iron technique, cast iron technique, wrought iron technique, tempering technique, wrought steel technique that made them ahead of other civilization at that time.

5. Wheelbarrow

There was an archaeological evidence of wheelbarrows in ancient China from Han Dynasty, Hui's tomb murals and brick tomb reliefs. However, the invention of wheelbarrow was credited to Prime Minister Zhuge Liang (181-234 AD) of Shu Han from 197-234. Liang created the wheelbarrow to carry the military weapons and to transfer injured and dead soldiers from the battlefield.

There were two types of Wheelbarrow that were common: Front wheeled wheelbarrows and centrally mounted the wheel. The Centrally mounted wheel didn't require a huge amount of energy to pull the wheelbarrow, the total weight was distributed equally between the wheels and pullers that made it convenient to use. The wheelbarrows were used heavily by the builder, soldiers, traders, farmers.

4. Acupuncture

There is an archaeological evidence that Acupuncture was practiced in Ancient China dated back from the Paleolithic period. The different crafted material such as stone knives and bamboo or bone needles were used as an instrumental of healing from excavated in China. It was revolutionized during the period of Huang DI, the Yellow Emperor (2697-2597). The earliest book of Chinese medicine called Nei Jing, was written around 305-204 BC consists of dialogue between Huang Di and his physicist Qi Bo about the whole spectrum of the Chinese Medical Arts

3. Seismograph

In 132 AD, Zhang Heng (78-139 AD) of Han Dynasty invented the first Seismograph called Houfeng Didong to measure the movements of Earth and seasonal winds. The seismograph was urn like an instrument, made of copper with a central pendulum. The eight dragons on the surface with each one holding the copper in its mouth points out to the eight different directions - ("east, south, west, north, southeast, northeast, southwest, and northwest"). When there was the earthquake, the closest dragon's mouth from the earthquake direction opened and the ball dropped into the mouth of the frog. When there was the earthquake, the closest dragon's mouth from the earthquake's direction released the ball and fall on the toad producing the sound. It lets people know the direction of an earthquake.

2. Great Wall:

Great Wall of China is one of the rigorous attempt by the mankind in the entire history. The Great Wall of China was built by the first emperor of china, Qin Shi Huang (260-210 BC) to protect from northern invaders. The glutinous rice flour was used as a binding material to bind the bricks. The 5500 miles length walls were built by the slaves, criminals, and peasants. It is estimated that more than millions of people worked to build the Great wall over 1000 years. Most of the great walls that we see today were built in the Ming Dynasty period.

Silk Road was an ancient trade route used by different merchants, traders, urban dwellers that linked Asia Continent and Mediterranean seas during various periods of time. The history of the Silk Road was predated from the Han Dynasty (207 BCE - 220 CE). The name "Silk road" came into existences from a lucrative silk industry that was exported all the world. With 6,400 miles Silk Road was considered as one of the major development in the Chinese history that makes china prosperous.
Final Conclusion:
Ancient Chinese inventions revolutionize many industries that we take it for granted today. Without paper, there wouldn't be books that we read today. Without a compass, traveling might have been a ghost story. Without printing, there won't be an availability of books on a large scale or a money. Perhaps, the world wouldn't be like the present.
Chinese Inventions during Medieval Period:
The Chinese invented lots of other things in the medieval period. All the inventions in the above list were from ancient china. However, there are few other things that shouldn't be missed. Although these things weren't invented in the ancient period, it carried a significant importance to the modern world.

The first chemical explosive known as a Gunpowder or black power is sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Gunpowder wasn't the sudden inventions. Chinese had used Saltpeter since mid-1st century AD in various medical treatments. The Gunpowder was invented during the Tang Dynasty in the 9th century. However, the earliest recorded formula was discovered during the Song Dynasty in the 11th century. The Chinese had used gunpowder and gunpowder-based weapon widely by the military force to prevent the invasion.

Movable-type printing

The major revolution in the history of printing came after an invention of movable clay type printing by Bi Sheng (990-1051 during the Northern Song Dynasty (960－1127). The printing consist of the four stages: making the types, composing the text, printing and retrieving the movable types. Later, In 1298, it was re-invented by the Wang Zen, during Yuan dynasty. He produced the book Jingde County that was printed 100 copies with more than 30,000 wooden movable types. The book consists of more than 60,000 Chinese characters. A metal movable type printing was invented during the Jin (1115-1234) and Southern Song (1127-1279) in the 12th century. Mostly large bronze was used to print the money.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top 18 Ancient Chinese Inventions - AncientHistoryLists

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ancient Chinese were innovative and determinant. They ameliorated daily necessity, by creating and innovating some of the prestigious things in the human history. Ancient Chinese inventions were dated back from the Paleolithic period. They were always ahead of the world for creating valuable things.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ancient Chinese Ice Cream Probably Pre-Dates Italy’s Gelato

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From ancient Chinese ice cream over 1,000 years ago to modern brands mass-producing popsicles, learn the long history of ice cream in China

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Noodle Timeline - Confucius was a Foodie

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The deadly irony of gunpowder - Eric Rosado

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Legend of Silk in Ancient China - What Is Silk?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The World's First Paper Currency: Ancient China

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The History and Culture of Chinese Kites

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction to history and culture of Chinese kites, including construction, Weifang Kite traditions and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Get ready to be 'in the know' about kites

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Unleashing the Power of the Ancient Chinese Crossbow: A Journey Through History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Invention of Noodles | Origin and History of Noodles | World's 1st Instant Noodles | Dr. Binocs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the legend of silk in Ancient Chinese history. How silk is made and the story behind who invented the cloth from a silkworm cocoon.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Football has found its way to the most remote corners of the globe, becoming one of the hottest topics of the day. About 2,500 years ago in China there was a similar game called “Cuju”, which, according to the International Football Association, was the origin of football as a sport.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ancient Chinese Seismometer Used Dragons and Toads | Kids Discover Online

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ancient Chinese Seismometer Used Dragons and Toads - In 132 AD, Chinese astronomer Zhang Heng created a seismometer, a device that detects the ground's movement during an earthquake.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Paper money is an invention of the Song Dynasty in China in the 11th century CE, nearly 20 centuries after the earliest known use of metal coins. While paper money was certainly easier to carry in large amounts, using paper money had its risks: counterfeiting and inflation.

Earliest Money

The earliest known form of money is also from China, a cast copper coin from the 11th century BCE, which was found in a Shang Dynasty tomb in China. Metal coins, whether made from copper, silver, gold, or other metals, have been used across the globe as units of trade and value. They have advantages-they are durable, difficult to counterfeit, and they hold intrinsic value. The big disadvantage? If you have very many of them, they get heavy.

For a couple thousand years after the coins were buried in that Shang tomb, however, merchants, traders, and customers in China had to put up with carrying coins, or with bartering goods for other goods directly. Copper coins were designed with square holes in the middle so that they could be carried on a string. For large transactions, traders calculated the price as the number of coin strings. It was workable, but an unwieldy system at best.

Paper Money Takes the Load Off

During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE), however, merchants began to leave those heavy strings of coins with a trustworthy agent, who would record how much money the merchant had on deposit on a piece of paper. The paper, a sort of promissory note, could then be traded for goods, and the seller could go to the agent and redeem the note for the strings of coins. With trade renewed along the Silk Road, this simplified cartage considerably. These privately-produced promissory notes were still not true paper currency, however.

At the beginning of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 CE), the government licensed specific deposit shops where people could leave their coins and receive notes. In the 1100s, Song authorities decided to take direct control of this system, issuing the world's first proper, government-produced paper money. This money was called jiaozi.

Jiaozi under the Song

The Song established factories to print paper money with woodblocks, using six colors of ink. The factories were located in Chengdu, Hangzhou, Huizhou, and Anqi, and each used different fiber mixes in their paper to discourage counterfeiting. Early notes expired after three years, and could only be used in particular regions of the Song Empire.

In 1265, the Song government introduced a truly national currency, printed to a single standard, usable across the empire, and backed by silver or gold. It was available in denominations between one and one hundred strings of coins. This currency lasted only nine years, however, because the Song Dynasty tottered, falling to the Mongols in 1279.

Mongol Influence

The Mongol Yuan Dynasty, founded by Kublai Khan (1215-1294), issued its own form of paper currency called chao; the Mongols brought it to Persia where it was called djaou or djaw. The Mongols also showed it to Marco Polo (1254-1324) during his 17-year-long stay in Kublai Khan's court, where he was amazed by the idea of government-backed currency. However, the paper money was not backed by gold or silver. The short-lived Yuan Dynasty printed increasing amounts of the currency, leading to runaway inflation. This problem was unresolved when the dynasty collapsed in 1368.

Although the succeeding Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) also began by printing unbacked paper money, it suspended the program in 1450. For much of the Ming era, silver was the currency of choice, including tons of Mexican and Peruvian ingots brought to China by Spanish traders. Only in the last two, desperate years of Ming rule did the government print paper money, as it attempted to fend off the rebel Li Zicheng and his army. China did not print paper money again until the 1890s when the Qing Dynasty began producing yuan.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Paper money is an invention of the Song Dynasty in China in the 11th century CE, nearly 20 centuries after the earliest known use of metal coins. While paper money was certainly easier to carry in large amounts, using paper money had its risks: counterfeiting and inflation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are few things more disconcerting than the sensation of the seemingly-solid Earth suddenly rolling and pitching beneath one's feet. As a result, humans have sought ways to measure or even predict earthquakes for thousands of years.

Although we still can't accurately predict earthquakes, humans have come a long way in detecting, recording, and measuring seismic shocks. This process began nearly 2000 years ago, with the invention of the first seismoscope in China.

The First Seismoscope

In 132 CE, inventor, Imperial Historian, and Royal Astronomer Zhang Heng displayed his amazing earthquake-detection machine, or seismoscope, at the court of the Han Dynasty. Zhang's seismoscope was a giant bronze vessel, resembling a barrel almost 6 feet in diameter. Eight dragons snaked face-down along the outside of the barrel, marking the primary compass directions. In each dragon's mouth was a small bronze ball. Beneath the dragons sat eight bronze toads, with their broad mouths gaping to receive the balls.

We don't know exactly what the first seismoscope looked like. Descriptions from the time give us an idea about the size of the instrument and the mechanisms that made it work. Some sources also note that the outside of the seismoscope's body was beautifully engraved with mountains, birds, tortoises, and other animals, but the original source of this information is difficult to trace.

The exact mechanism that caused a ball to drop in the event of an earthquake also is not known. One theory is that a thin stick was set loosely down the center of the barrel. An earthquake would cause the stick to topple over in the direction of the seismic shock, triggering one of the dragons to open its mouth and release the bronze ball.

Another theory posits that a baton was suspended from the lid of the instrument as a free-swinging pendulum. When the pendulum swung widely enough to strike the side of the barrel, it would cause the closest dragon to release its ball. The sound of the ball striking the toad's mouth would alert observers to the earthquake. This would give a rough indication of the earthquake's direction of origin, but it did not provide any information about the intensity of the tremors.

Proof of Concept

Zhang's wonderful machine was called houfeng didong yi, meaning "an instrument for measuring the winds and the movements of the Earth." In earthquake-prone China, this was an important invention.

In one instance, just six years after the device was invented, a large quake estimated at a magnitude seven struck what is now Gansu Province. People in the Han Dynasty's capital city of Luoyang, 1,000 miles away, did not feel the shock. However, the seismoscope alerted the emperor's government to the fact that a quake had struck somewhere to the west. This is the first known instance of scientific equipment detecting an earthquake that had not been felt by humans in the area. The seismoscope's findings were confirmed several days later when messengers arrived in Luoyang to report a major earthquake in Gansu.

Chinese Seismoscopes on the Silk Road?

Chinese records indicate that other inventors and tinkerers in the court improved upon Zhang Heng's design for the seismoscope over the centuries that followed. The idea seems to have spread westward across Asia, probably carried along the Silk Road.

By the 13th century, a similar seismoscope was in use in Persia, although the historical record does not provide a clear link between the Chinese and Persian devices. It is possible that the great thinkers of Persia hit upon a similar idea independently.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Who Invented the Seismoscope, and What Did It Do?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are few things more disconcerting than the sensation of the seemingly-solid Earth suddenly rolling and pitching beneath one's feet. As a result, humans have sought ways to measure or even predict earthquakes for thousands of years. Although we still can't accurately predict earthquakes, humans have come a long way in detecting, recording, and measuring seismic shocks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids learn about the Grand Canal of Ancient China including its history, when it was built, improvements, length, why it was built, and fun facts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wheelbarrows are human-powered carts with one wheel to assist in carrying all kinds of burdens, from harvested crops to mine tailings, and pottery to building materials. Sickly, wounded, or elderly people could be carried to the doctor before the advent of the ambulance.

It's one of those ideas that seems so self-evident, once you have seen it in action. Rather than carrying heavy loads on your back or burdening a pack animal with them, you can put them into a tub or basket that has a wheel and long handles for pushing or pulling. The wheelbarrow does most of the work for you. But who first came up with this brilliant idea? Where was the wheelbarrow invented?

The First Wheelbarrow

The first wheelbarrows seem to have been created in China-along with the first gunpowder, paper, seismoscopes, paper currency, magnetic compasses, crossbows, and many other key inventions.

The earliest evidence of Chinese wheelbarrows is found in illustrations dated around 100 CE, during the Han dynasty. These wheelbarrows had a single wheel at the front of the load, and the operator holding the handles carried about half the weight. A wall painting in a tomb near Chengdu, in Sichuan Province and dated to 118 CE, shows a man using a wheelbarrow. Another tomb, also in Sichuan Province, includes a depiction of a wheelbarrow in its carved wall reliefs; that example dates back to the year 147 CE.

Wheel Placement Innovation

According to the "Records of the Three Kingdoms," written by Chinese scholar Chen Shou in the third century CE, the prime minister of the Shu Han Dynasty in the Three Kingdoms Period-a man named Zhuge Liang-invented a new form of wheelbarrow in 231 CE as a form of military technology. At the time, Shu Han was embroiled in a war with Cao Wei, another of the three kingdoms for which the era is named.

Zhuge Liang needed an efficient way for a single person to transport enormous quantities of food and munitions to the front lines, so he came up with the idea of making a "wooden ox" with a single wheel. Another traditional nickname for this simple handcart is the "gliding horse." This vehicle had a centrally mounted wheel, with loads carried pannier-fashion on either side or on the top. The operator propelled and guided the wagon, but all of the weight was carried by the wheel. Using the wooden ox, a single soldier could easily carry enough food to feed four men for the entire month-or the four men themselves. As a result, the Shu Han tried to keep the technology a secret-they did not want to lose their advantage over the Cao Wei.

The Greek Contender

There is a tiny bit of evidence that the Greeks may have had a single-wheeled cart as early as the fifth century BCE. A builder's inventory from the Greek site of Eleusis contains a list of tools and equipment, listing the hypteria (upper parts) of a tetrakyklos (four-wheeled vehicle) and one for a monokyklos (one-wheeled vehicle). But that's it: no description beyond the name, and no other reference to such a vehicle is seen in any other Greek or Roman text.

Roman agriculture and architecture processes are well-documented: builder's inventories in particular were commonly preserved. The Romans depended on four-wheeled carts drawn by oxen, pack animals, or on humans, who carried loads in containers in their hands or suspended from their shoulders. No (single-wheeled) wheelbarrows.

Recurrence in Medieval Europe

The earliest consistent and continued use of wheelbarrows in Europe begins in the 12th century CE with an adaptation of the cenovectorium. The cenovectorium (Latin for "muck carrier") was originally a cart with handles at both ends and carried by two individuals. The earliest evidence that a wheel replaced one of the ends in Europe is from a tale written in about 1172 by William of Canterbury in his "Miracles of St. Thomas a Becket." The story involves a man using a one-wheeled cenovectorium to push his paralyzed daughter to see St. Thomas at Canterbury.

Where did that idea (finally) come from? British historian M.J.T. Lewis suggests that the Crusaders might have run across tales of one-wheeled vehicles while in the Middle East, perhaps as stories from Arab sailors who had visited China. Certainly, the Middle East was a huge international trade market at the time. But it seems more likely to have been another suggestion of Lewis': an ad hoc invention, in the same way many other vehicles were invented since the 3500 BCE invention of the axle. Hand carts with two wheels operated by one person (essentially a two-wheeled wheelbarrow), carts with two wheels pulled by an animal, four-wheeled horse- or oxen-drawn wagons, two-wheeled people-drawn rickshaws: all of these and many others were used off and on throughout history to carry goods and people.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top Secret Military Hardware: the Wheelbarrow in 200 CE

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Wheelbarrows are human-powered carts with one wheel to assist in carrying all kinds of burdens, from harvested crops to mine tailings, and pottery to building materials. Sickly, wounded, or elderly people could be carried to the doctor before the advent of the ambulance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
While the development of ice cream seems to have come to a halt with the fall of the Roman Empire, China, and the Orient instead step forward as the Historically Earliest Champions of Ice Cream. How come? While it seems clear that mankind has been able to mix snow and ice with different appealing flavours since the beginning of our history, one might argue that these "ices" do not really qualify as "ice cream".

Even if less stringent criteria are applied, it could also be argued that the label "real" ice cream-making only should be awareded where the manufacturer has found a way of actually controlling the freezing process - relying solely on nature's own ice and snow for the freezing would thus not really count, leaving the earlier centuries out of the contest).
So, to put it differently - when and where did mankind begin to control the freezing process? Many believe that it happened in Ancient China.
According to the world-famous explorer Marco Polo, coming back from his years of travels in China in 1254 (and yes, most researchers nowadays believe that he actually did visit China) the Chinese had mastered a process whereby they managed to freeze ice cream by using salt and salpeter (nitre) to lower the freezing point of ice.

The ancient techniques of flavoured ices from China, the now fallen Roman empire and other Eastern regions such as Persia are, however, believed to have been assembled mainly in the Arab world. Further improvements and refinements to the processes used were made (such as using sugar instead of fruit juices for sweetener).

Even without Marco Polo - often credited with bringing the knowledge of the Chinese techniques to Italy - it seems clear that news about ice cream must have travelled to Europe from the Arab world also via a number of other sources. And no, not all of these sources were necessarily long-travelling crusaders or merchants. Sicily itself was actually an Islamic Emirate during the years 965 to 1072, so in a sense the 'oriental traditions' may have bloomed on European soil in their very own right.

The origins of the ice cream we know today are believed to have first emerged in Italy. In view of the strong Arabic influences there, drawing upon the ancient iced traditions of Rome, of China as well as of others, this does not appear too surprising.

Exactly how these early Italians did go about in order to freeze their ice cream base mixtures is not known, though (assuming that they actually did manage to do it, that is). Strangely enough, it apparently took the Europeans until about 1559 to establish the method whereby a freezing effect was created by using ice and salt - the technical precondition for ice cream-making of a more modern type.

The secrets of these early illustrious Italian ice cream chefs are then supposed to have charmed - first and foremost - the royal courts of other European countries, starting with France.

According to a widespread but probably apocryphal story, the distribution of knowledge is even pinpointed to a specific historical event - the marriage in 1533 between Catherine de Medici from Florence and the future king Henri II of France.

According to the story, Catherine de Medici brought with her quite a number of cooking-savvy servants on her journey from Florence to France. While some claim this to be the true origins of the world-renowned French cooking, ice cream buffs tend to focus on the ice cream skills attributed to the legendary former chicken farmer and dessert chef Ruggerio. The Ice cream master apparent of his times, he is accredited with having served a different flavoured ice every day to the enchanted guests during the month-long wedding celebration.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
From "ices" to "ice cream" - China, the Orient and the European Renaissance

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
From ices to ice cream While the development of ice cream seems to have come to a halt with the fall of the Roman Empire, China, and the Orient instead step forward as the Historically Earliest Champions of Ice Cream.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chinese Umbrellas -The Earliest Umbrella

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the long and eventful history of the umbrellas, china had one of the most important roles. The innovation and designs made by ancient Chinese manufacturers introduced umbrella to countless millions, and enabled very important the second resurgence of umbrella fashion in European history.

# data[].attributes.headline
Tang Dynasty:  Gunpowder, Woodblock Printing, Gunpowder

# data[].attributes.subject
Tang Dynasty:  Gunpowder, Woodblock Printing, Gunpowder

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Opening our eyes to spectacles of the past

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The History of the Toothbrush and Getting Teeth Clean

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The history of the toothbrush and getting teeth clean is a lot more interesting than it sounds! Come with us and explore wild boar bristles, feathers & more

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Technological Advances during the Song

Song military engineers found gunpowder to be helpful in , leading to the development of early types of rockets, cannons, bombs, and mines.

The Wujing zongyao ("Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques"), a military manual from 1044 CE, records the first true gunpowder formula and describes how to produce it on a large scale. Gunpowder was first use in warfare as an incendiary, or fire-producing, compound. Small packages of gunpowder wrapped in paper or bamboo were attached to arrows and lit with a fuse.

mixed with scrap iron would be launched with . Another use was "fire-spurting lances," which were a kind of flame-thrower using bamboo or metal tubes for their barrels.

Weapons involving gunpowder were extensively used by both the Chinese and the Mongol forces in the 13th century. Song efforts to continually improve their weapons were one reason they were able to hold off the for several decades. But the Mongols, like the and before them ( who conquered the first, or northern, Song dynasty capital in Kaifeng), were equally ready to adopt new and better military technology, often by capturing the Chinese engineers and gunners.

* A Visual Sourcebook for Chinese Civilization: Military Technology [Patricia Ebrey, University of Washington]
Discusses siegecraft, crossbows and armor, spears, clubs, and swords, catapults, warships, and gunpowder and firearms. Illustrations throughout, with questions for discussion.

* Cai Guo-Qiang [art21, PBS]
Cai Guo-Qiang (b. 1957) is a Chinese contemporary artist and curator and, most recently, Director of Visual and Special Effects for the opening ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. "Accomplished in a variety of media, Cai began using gunpowder in his work to foster spontaneity and confront the controlled artistic tradition and social climate in China."

* Cai Guo-Qiang [Artist's Official Website]
See especially Projects to explore the artist's work.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Illustrations of whip-arrows (L) and raised “flower” and ball bombs(R), from Zeng Gongliang and Ding Du, Wujing zongyao, late Ming (Wanli Period) edition, in Zhongguo bingshu jicheng, Volume 3 to 5, edited by the Zhongguo bingshu jicheng Editing Committee (Beijing and Shenyang: Jiefangjun chubanshe and Liaoshen shushe, 1988), 12:56 (p.633).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Tea's Wonderful History

Tea is among the world's oldest and most revered beverages. It is today's most popular beverage in the world, next to water. Tea drinking has long been an important aspect of Chinese culture. A Chinese saying identifies the seven basic daily necessities as fuel, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. According to Chinese legend, tea was invented accidentally by the Chinese Emperor Shen Nong in 2737 B.C. Emperor Shen Nong was a scholar and herbalist, as well as a creative scientist and patron of the arts. Among other things, the emperor believed that drinking boiled water contributed to good health. By his decree, his subjects and servants had to boil their water before drinking it as a hygiene precaution. On one summer day while he was visiting a distant region, he and his entourage stopped to rest. The servants began to boil water for the skilled ruler and his subjects to drink. Dried leaves from a nearby camellia bush fell into the boiling water. The emperor was interested in the new liquid because it had a pleasing aroma, so he drank the infusion and discovered that it was very refreshing and had a delightful flavor. He declared that tea gives vigor to the body; thus that was when tea was invented, but it was considered as a medicinal beverage. It was around 300 A.D., when tea became a daily drink.

It was not until the Tang and Song Dynasties when tea showed some significance in Chinese tradition. During the mid-Tang Dynasty (780 A.D.), a scholar named Lu Yu published the first definitive book, Cha Ching or The Tea Classic, on tea after he spent over twenty years studying the subject. This documentation included his knowledge of planting, processing, tasting, and brewing tea. His research helped to elevate tea drinking to a high status throughout China. This was when the art of tea drinking was born.

Later, a Song Dynasty emperor helped the spread of tea consumption further by indulging in this wonderful custom. He enjoyed tea drinking so much, that he bestowed tea as gifts only to those who were worthy. During this same time, tea was the inspiration of many books, poems, songs, and paintings. This not only popularized tea, it also elevated tea's value which drew tea-growers to the capital.

Between the Yuan and Qing Dynasties, the technology of tea production continuously advanced to become more simplified and to improve the methods of enhancing tea flavor. During this period, tea houses and other tea-drinking establishments were opening up all over China. By 900 A.D., tea drinking spread from China to Japan where the Japanese Tea Ceremony or Chanoyu, was created. In Japan, tea was elevated to an art form which requires years of dedicated studying. Unlike the Japanese people, the Chinese people tend to view tea drinking as a form of enjoyment: to have after a meal or to serve when guests visit.

Tea was introduced to Europe in the 1600s; it was introduced to England in 1669. At that time, the drink was enjoyed only by the aristocracy because a pound of tea cost an average British laborer the equivalent of nine months in wages. The British began to import tea in larger quantities to satisfy the rapidly expanding market. Tea became Britain's most important item of trade from China. All classes were able to drink tea as the tea trade increased and became less of a luxury. Now, tea is low in price and readily available.

The word "tea" was derived from ancient Chinese dialects. Such words as "Tchai", "Cha", and "Tay" were used to describe the tea leaf as well as the beverage. The tea plant's scientific name is Camellia sinensis (which is from the The aceae family of the Theales order), and it is indigenous to China and parts of India. The tea plant is an evergreen shrub that develops fragrant white, five-petaled flowers, and it is related to the magnolia. Tea is made from young leaves and leaf buds from the tea tree. Two main varieties are cultivated: C. sinensis sinensis, a Chinese plant with small leaves, and C. sinensis assamica, an Indian plant with large leaves. Hybrids of these two varieties are also cultivated. What we call "herbal tea" is technically not tea because it does not come from the tea plant but consists of a mixture of flowers, fruit, herbs or spices from other plants.

Today, there are more than 1,500 types of teas to choose from because over 25 countries cultivate tea as a plantation crop. China is one of the main producers of tea, and tea remains China's national drink.

References

The listing of the sites above does not constitute an endorsement of these sites by CHCP.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chinese Historical & Cultural Project - Teas Wonderful History

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Tea is among the world's oldest and most revered beverages. It is today's most popular beverage in the world, next to water. Tea drinking has long been an important aspect of Chinese culture. A Chinese saying identifies the seven basic daily necessities as fuel, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The popular legend says tea was discovered by Emperor Shennong in ancient China.

The practice of drinking tea has a long history in China.

Shennong (Chinese: 神农), whose name means the Divine Farmer -- and who is considered as the ancient Chinese Father of Agriculture, is honored with the discovery of tea. According to legend, one fall afternoon, Shennong decided to take a rest under a Camellia tree and boiled some water to drink. Dried leaves from the tree above floated down into the pot of boiling water and infused with the water, creating a pot of tea, marking the first ever infusion of the tea leaf. Intrigued by the delightful fragrance, Shennong took a sip and found it refreshing.

Since Shennong's discovery, tea has been grown and enjoyed throughout the world.

In the beginning, tea was used in ritual offerings. Then, tea leaves were eaten as a vegetable, or used in medicine. Until the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, tea was a new drink.

During the Sui Dynasty (581-618), tea was used for its medicinal qualities. In the fourth and fifth centuries, rice, salt, spices, ginger and orange peel, among other ingredients, were added to tea. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), tea drinking became an art form and a drink enjoyed by all social classes.

Tea became a popular drink in Buddhist monasteries after the caffeine proved to keep the monks awake during long hours of meditation. For this reason, many monasteries cultivated vast tea fields. Lu Yu (Chinese: 陆羽), author of The Book of Tea, was an orphan brought up and educated in a monastery. It is likely that his experience growing up surrounded by tea inspired his book written during the Tang Dynasty. In The Book of Tea, Lu Yu recorded a detailed account of ways to cultivate and prepare tea, tea drinking customs, the best water for tea brewing and different classifications of tea.

Whipped powdered tea became fashionable during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), but disappeared completely from Chinese culture after the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), when many other aspects of Song culture were erased during foreign rule. Chinese people later became accustomed to drinking steeped tea from leaves after the Yuan Dynasty and continue to drink it this way today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The popular legend says tea was discovered by Emperor Shennong in ancient China. The practice of drinking tea has a long history in China. Shennong (Chinese: 神农), whose name means the Divine Farmer -- and who is considered as the ancient Chinese Father of Agriculture, is honored with the discovery of tea.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The crossbow was introduced into Chinese warfare during the Warring States period (481-221 BCE). Developing over the centuries into a more powerful and accurate weapon, the crossbow also came in versions…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today, let’s finish inventing the wheelbarrow. The University of Houston’s College of Engineering presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Interesting Chinese Porcelain Facts - Rob Turner China Designs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this infographic we highlight some interesting facts about china. […]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
China Xian Tour: Private & Tailor-Made China Tours - China Xian Tour offers flexible private China tours with the lowest price & best service.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Facts of Ancient Chinese Compass: Ancient Chinese Inventions

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn more knowledge of the Chinese compass, one of the four ancient Chinese inventions: How was the compass invented? How does the compass work?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Among the most globally significant innovations of the Tang (618-906) and Song (960-1279) dynasties were the inventions of woodblock printing and moveable type, enabling widespread publishing of a variety of texts, and the dissemination of knowledge and literacy. Scholars believe that woodblock printing first appeared in China around 600, probably inspired by the much older use of bronze or stone seals to make impressions on clay and silk, and the practice of taking inked rubbings of inscribed texts from bronze and stone reliefs. The process for block printing on paper was perfected by the end of Tang dynasty.

Once printing became widespread, it also stimulated the development of a sophisticated paper industry with many different specialized papers created for different purposes. Wood for printing blocks usually came from date or pear trees. Text to be printed was first written on a sheet of paper. The paper was then glued face-down to the wood block and, using a knife, the characters on the paper were carefully engraved on the wood. The surface of wood block was then inked and covered with a sheet of paper. By gently brushing the paper over the engraved characters, the text was printed.

At first, woodblock printing was mainly used for printing books on agriculture and medicine, as well as for printing calendars, calligraphy, and auspicious charms. In 762, the first commercially printed books were sold in the markets of Chang'an, the Tang capital. In 782, printed papers were available in the marketplace as receipts for business transactions and tax payments.

Although woodblock printing played an important role in the spread of information and commercial transactions in China, it was a time-consuming technology. For example, in 971, at the beginning of Song dynasty, the monk Zhang Tuxin began a project to print the Tripitaka (a collection of essential Buddhist scriptures) using wood blocks. It took him twelve years to finish printing the 1076 volumes. The limitations of woodblock printing led to the invention of moveable-type printing during the Song dynasty.

Moveable-type printing was invented between 1041 and 1048 by Bi Sheng, a common man who was highly experienced in woodblock printing. Song dynasty scientist Shen Kuo described the invention of moveable type in his book Dream Stream Essays. According to Shen Kuo, Bi Sheng made one clay type for each linguistic character, then had them fired for hardness. A layer of resin, wax, and paper ash mixture was placed on the bottom of an open iron box to hold the type with characters facing up. The bottom of the box was heated to melt the wax mixture, and simultaneously all the typeface was pressed down with a wood board to ensure that the types were level.

Finally the tops of the clay types were inked, and the mechanism would then be ready for printing just like a wood block. Afterward the clay types could be disassembled and reused. The moveable-type printing process substantially reduced the time for printing from several days to a matter of hours. Nevertheless, because of the thousands of ideograms required for written Chinese, moveable type was not as efficient as it would be four hundred years later in Western Europe. In fact, woodblock printing still remained popular in China for several centuries. Nevertheless, the diffusion of Tang and Song printing technology throughout East Asia, to the Middle East, and finally to Western Europe had a significant impact on the development of world history.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Invention of Woodblock Printing in the Tang (618-906) and Song (960-1279) Dynasties - Education - Asian Art Museum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco houses one of the most comprehensive Asian art collections in the world, with more than 18,000 works of art in its permanent collection. Stroll through 6,000 years of art and culture.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The High-Flying History: How China Invented the Kite

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Long Story of the Long Noodle: A 4,000-Year-Old Invention

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Grand Highway of Water: How Ancient China Invented Canals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today, we visit a wonderful Chinese clock. The University of Houston’s College of Engineering presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today, an earth-shaken invention -- far older than we’d think. The University of Houston’s College of Engineering presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run, and the people whose ingenuity created them. We face an odd problem when we look for the origins of our cleverest machines. So many were invented in China and never plowed into any mainstream of knowledge. So much spectacular human ingenuity was poured into the various Chinese royal courts and then forgotten. That’s the way it was with seismography.