...Ancient China was a government ruled by dynasties and for many years China was eventually united under one of the regional kings; the first emperor was Qin Shi Huang, in 221 BC. China's long history has seen many extremely important ancient inventions and tremendous contributions to the world's economy and the culture of mankind. They were also important symbols of China's role as a great world civilization. Ancient China has many inventions and contributions, the 10 useful ones are identified as follows; Paper making is believed to be invented first in China. The proper paper making is one of the China's significant contributions to the development of human civilization. The paper was first made during the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC). Another invention was a movable typing printing. The world's first printings were invented in China in the Tang Dynasty (618－907 BC). Chinese began to print mainly with carved blocks. Gunpowder is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal and potassium nitrate. It was used in firearms and as a pyrotechnic in fireworks. It was a useful invention that contributed to the advancement of generating large amount of heat and gas. Chinese also invented the compass. A compass is a navigational instrument that shows directions in a frame of reference that is stationary relative to the surface of the earth. The first compasses were invented for harmonize environments and buildings in accordance with the geometric principles. The invention...
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...The Ancient Chinese are responsible for many inventions and contributions to the world. Some of their inventions and contributions include paper making, moveable type printing, gunpowder, compass, alcohol, mechanical clock, tea production, silk, practical umbrella, acupuncture, iron and steel smelting, porcelain, earthquake detector, rocket, bronze, the kite, the seed drill, row crop farming, toothbrush and paper money. We will take a look at 10 of these contributions and then choose the four that I believe are the most important. I will then choose one of the Ancient Chinese contributions that I cannot live without. The most prominent inventions are: * Gunpowder: The principle behind gunpowder was discovered by the Chinese in perhaps the first century A.D., during the Han Dynasty. It wasn’t used in guns at the time, but created explosions at festivals. They mixed together saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal dust, which they put into bamboo tubes, and threw into fires until they found a way to propel the matter on its own as a rocket (Gill, 2013) * Silk: During the Shang Dynasty the Chinese learned to cultivate the silk worm, real out its silken thread, and create silk fabric. Not only was the silken fabric useful in heat or cold as clothing, but, as a highly sought-after luxury item, it led to commerce with other peoples and the spread of culture all the way to and from the Roman Empire. (Gill, 2013). * Paper: Another Han Dynasty invention. Paper could be made from a...
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...Today's world is slowly developing one global culture. Countries share elements of their cultures with one another, and groups of people grow to understand one another better. The United States of America is a great example of a country whose culture is comprised of bits and pieces of many other cultures. One culture in particular that has had an effect on many Americans is the Chinese culture. China's long history has seen some extremely important inventions emerge, most noticeably gunpowder, paper making, compass, and silk. Few substances in history have had as profound an effect on human history as gunpowder... and its discovery was an accident! Ancient alchemists in China spent centuries trying to discover an elixir of life that would render the user immortal. One important ingredient in many of the failed elixirs was saltpetre, also known as potassium nitrate. Many western history books over the years have stated that the Chinese used this discovery only for fireworks, but that is not true. Song Dynasty military forces as early as 904 A.D. used gunpowder devices against their primary enemy, the Mongols. And, although the Chinese did use gunpowder in fireworks for religious purposes, they also used gunpowder in cannons, rockets, and guns. Other Song military applications of gunpowder included primitive hand grenades, poisonous gas shells, flame throwers and land mines. Paper was invented by Cai Lun in 105 AD. Cai Lun not only greatly improved...
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...China has had lots of inventions and contributions to the world and just about all of them are still used today. The compass was one of the inventions created by the Chinese to help build their buildings in the right direction. Also Chinese Medicine was introduced in the ancient times and it shed some light on acupuncture and massage therapy. Printing and the umbrella were also other inventions developed by the Chinese. There are several more inventions and contributions that the Ancient Chinese developed but the main four that I believe to be the most important are silk, paper, porcelain, and good old gun powder. The Chinese invented silk more than 2,100 years ago. The Chinese didn’t’ just invent silk; they mastered the technique of weaving the silk. Once silk was developed it was used to make fishing line, musical instruments, bow strings, luxury paper known as rag paper, robes and other garments. I believe silk to be one of the top four inventions made by the Chinese because once silk was developed it became China’s number one source of revenue. Silk also became a big trading piece on the Silk Road; people were willing to pay the same weight in gold for silk! Today we still use silk and China is still the lead runner on producing silk. Paper is another invention that was one of China’s most important inventions and contributions to the world. People have been writing for years and years in their own language on clay tablets, walls, and other things that weren’t very easy...
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...A Trip To China Is What The Doctor Ordered Humanities 111 February 2 2013 China is definitely on the top of my list of countries I could only dream to visit. There is so much that I know I can learn if given the opportunity to visit such a great country. Even today, China is home to the greatest inventions and works in the world. They are considered to be much more advanced in technology and products than the rest of the world. We have many things today in this world that is all because of Chinese discoveries and inventions. From spices to material to gun powder and paper making, we have inventors of ancient China to thank. Gun powder, printing, paper making, the compass, porcelain, silk, tea and medicine are some of the greatest contributions given to the world and I know exactly which ones I would want to see the history on when first arriving to China. Gun powder is the first on my personal list of greatest contributions or inventions from the ancient Chinese. Gun powder was discovered when alchemists from china got the idea when dealing with sulfur and other substances. They are said to have been used in some military application during the Tang Dynasty. Some argue that without guns there would be no violence and without gun powder there would be no guns I have to disagree. Guns are only used for violence when they end up in the wrong people’s hand. Guns can be used for hunting which feeds hunters and their families. Guns are used as part of recreation...
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...HUMN432 Week 6 Assignment: Final Draft of the Paper Technology: The Invention of Gunpowder Professor: Adam Ravalovich August 12, 2011 Title: The Invention of Gunpowder A. Introduction: The invention of gunpowder was one of China’s four greatest inventions that made a significant contribution to Chinese culture. Gunpowder in Chinese is called “huo yau”, meaning flaming medicine. The use of gunpowder gave the Chinese a greater ability to protect them from enemies and to conquer and control others. Although fireworks today are used as entertainment, the Chinese used it to scare-off enemies in the time of war. Chinese firearms, fireworks and gunpowder were also popular items of trade along the Silk Road to Europe. As we can imagine this invention had a profound effect on human history and although gunpowder was invented by the Chinese, it gave rise to the powerful western world while it inevitably left China and the Eastern World behind. B. Description of the Chinese Culture (Brandy Miller) 1. Chinese Society: Understanding a people's culture exposes their normalness without reducing their individuality. There are many different realms of Chinese society. China is well known for its centuries of traditional values, customs and beliefs. These beliefs are deeply linked with the language, religions and collective values which have always been the center of traditional festivals, customs and everyday life of man as a collective in harmony with nature...
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...The Silk Road 1. Introduction Silk road is a road that connects China with those countries of central and western Asia. It starts from Chang’an, the capital of ancient China, to Mediterranean ending at Rome. The overall length of this road is about 6440 kilometers. As the main commodity transported on this road is Chinese silk, it is called Silk Road. It is an important trade channel for those people of China, central Asia, western Asia, southeastern Asia, Europe, Africa, and America to friendly exchanges. The physical and spiritual communication caused by the Silk Road not only riches the physical lives of these regions around this road but also hugely impacts their culture and social structure. One of the most important contributions made...
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...Printing Press The Ancient Catalyst of Culture DeVry University Humanities 303 Printing Press, the Ancient Catalyst of Culture How did we get to the latest art form of printing, the wireless printer? Through years of evolutional design and determination, this technology was possible. The printing press allowed people to learn different styles of the art of printing, education, arts, literature, and cultural differences quicker, and learning was more widespread, in addition; it provided the world with the most efficient means of communication of the written word through mass production. I will show how the decision of humankind to advance the printing presses worthiness did advance literacy in many cultures. Through the printing presses, humble beginnings of block printing to the latest technological advancements, the printing press has continued to evolve in one form or other. The printing presses evolution would not be complete without some prior knowledge of how it all began; therefore, a little history is necessary to fully understand the evolutional picture of communicational needs and the printing press. In ancient times before the beginning of a written dialogue, when reading and writing was nonexistent, communication was nothing more than some obscured hand drawings on clay tablets or cave walls. Communication was limited to the imagination of the ancient artist who wanted to explain life’s surrounding and how to survive. The validation of communications in religion...
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...1 ANCIENT CHINA 1 Introduction and General Remarks for Ancient China Ancient civilizations of the Egyptians and Mesopotamians have long disappeared, but Ancient Chinese civilization and its transformation to modern times has lasted as the largest and most enduring one in human history. This is even more remarkable when observing the numerous leitmotifs of the Chinese society that were inaugurated so long ago, and many of these themes still resonate today. Ancestral worship, the Mandate of Heaven, and the numerous philosophical ideas, especially of Confucius, have been practiced or used for thousands of years. Remote and mysterious are two adjectives that Western Society has applied to China until recently. China is the only civilization where western thought had no influence until modern times, and also practically the only large region in the world where western men never ruled. For westerners, Chinese customs seem reversed to theirs. White is the color of mourning for the Chinese not black, and for them the left side is one of honor not the right side. Writing is read vertically from the top right-hand corner downward. These few differences reveal that Chinese culture evolved independently of western influences. One can only marvel at the longevity of Chinese civilization. Influence of Geography 2 Geography has played an important role in Chinese History as in most ancient, medieval, and modern cultures. While 85% of China is arid or inaccessible steppes...
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...The Contributions of River Valley Civilizations Document-Based Question By: Krupa Patel The ancient River Valley Civilizations of Egypt, China, and Mesopotamia all made key contributions to future societies. Two contributions made by the Mesopotamian civilization, are introducing a complete set of laws and creating the world’s first written language. In Document 1, it states how Sumerians created cuneiform script over 5000 years ago. They used this writing system to keep track of business deals far away, to pass on new ideas to each generation, and to keep records. Cuneiform is what initially started languages all over the world; it was a form of communication that evolved differently in each society. Future civilizations would establish their own languages, gradually making its way to the modern century. In addition, the Mesopotamian civilization developed Hammurabi’s Code, the most complete set of laws that has survived. Document 2 supports this reasoning, by stating that these set of rules were important because they helped govern a civilization while trying to protect people even if they had little political power. From this, future civilizations would begin to make their own laws to have a more organized society. The Code of Hammurabi, however, also brought forth the idea of class. For instance, punishments were based on the class of the lawbreaker and the victim of the crime. The Mesopotamian civilization contributed two major things that even impact the world today:...
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...The history of the world is the history of humanity, beginning with the Paleolithic Era. Distinct from the history of Planet Earth (which includes early geologic history and prehuman biological eras), world history comprises the study of archeological and written records, from ancient times on. Ancient recorded history begins with the invention of writing.[1][2] However, the roots of civilization reach back to the period before the invention of writing. Prehistory begins in the Paleolithic Era, or "Early Stone Age," which is followed by the Neolithic Era, or New Stone Age, and the Agricultural Revolution (between 8000 and 5000 BCE) in the Fertile Crescent. The Neolithic Revolution marked a change in human history, as humans began the systematic husbandry of plants and animals.[3][4][5] Agriculture advanced, and most humans transitioned from a nomadic to a settled lifestyle as farmers in permanent settlements. Nomadism continued in some locations, especially in isolated regions with few domesticable plant species;[6] but the relative security and increased productivity provided by farming allowed human communities to expand into increasingly larger units, fostered by advances in transportation. World population[7] from 10,000 BCE to 2,000 CE. The vertical (population) scale is logarithmic. As farming developed, grain agriculture became more sophisticated and prompted a division of labor to store food between growing seasons. Labor divisions then led to the rise of a leisured...
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...clay (or a mixture of clay and other materials) that is shaped into a desired form then heated. Almost all developed cultures have known this recipe for thousands of years and each has established a long history of ceramic arts. Through the millennia, these different cultures have taken the rather simple process and adapted it to their own taste while also assimilating foreign influences imported through intercontinental trade and migrations. The result is an art form that is universally popular, yet regionally unique. The oldest examples of ceramic pottery date back past 10,000 BC and come from southern China and Japan. These early pots were made through the “coiling” method, a technique that required the clay to be worked into a long string which was wound round onto itself to form walls that could then be molded smooth. This process was independently developed by cultures across the world but was eventually replaced by the potter’s wheel after its invention in Mesopotamia around 4,000 BC. Thanks to the potter’s wheel, from 900 to 500 B.C. ceramic pottery was widely implemented throughout Ancient Greece, most commonly in the form of decoratively painted vases. While Greek vases typically depicted a scene or story drawn on the exterior, their interior served a variety of purposes; from small jugs used to store and transport goods to large kraters that were used to dilute wine in. Compared to the Greeks, the Romans were less involved with “luxury” pottery but still produced...
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...China (traditional Chinese: 中國; simplified Chinese: 中国) is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and a nation in East Asia. The last Chinese Civil War has resulted in two nations: The People's Republic of China (PRC), commonly known as China, has control over mainland China and the largely self-governing territories of Hong Kong (since 1997) and Macau (since 1999). The Republic of China (ROC), commonly known as Taiwan, has control over the islands of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu. China has one of the world's oldest civilizations and has the oldest continuous civilization.[1] It has archaeological evidence over 5,000 years old. It also has one of the world's oldest writing systems, and is viewed as the source of many major inventions. The first recorded use of the word "China" is dated 1555.[nb 1][3] It is derived from Cin, a Persian name for China popularized in Europe by Marco Polo. History of China Ancient China was one of the first civilizations. Chinese civilization was also one of the few to invent writing,[2] the others being Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley civilization, the Maya civilization, the Minoan civilization of ancient Greece, and Ancient Egypt.[5] It reached its golden age during the Tang Dynasty (about A.D. 10th century). China is home to some of the oldest artwork in the world. Statues and pottery, as well as decorations made of jade, are some classic examples. China's economy and military weakened during the Qing Dynasty (around the 17th...
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...History of weaving The method of producing fabric is called “weaving”. It is a producing process that to interlace two distinct sets of yarns or threads at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. It is one of the most ancient fundamental arts, as indicated by archaeological evidence. This essay is analyzing the history of weaving and the development of weaving technology. Evolution of Weaving No one knows exactly when weaving was first developed, but the history of weaving can be surmised from ancient woven artifacts. It's known that weaving came about thanks to the boundless creativity of mankind to fulfill a need over 9,000 years ago. 6000 years ago, Egyptians began making woven fabrics while Chinese made fine fabrics from silk over 4000 years ago. Then, in the 3rd century, a shedding mechanism was originally invented in China and introduced in Europe Although weaving sprang up independently in different parts of the world and was early known in Europe, its high development there in the Middle Ages was brought about by Eastern influences operating through Muslim and Byzantine channels of culture. Byzantium became a center of silk weaving in the 6th cent. In the 9th century, Greece, Italy, and Spain became proficient. In Flanders a high degree of skill was attained by the 10th cent., especially in the weaving of wool. Flemish weavers brought to England by William the Conqueror and later by Queen Elizabeth...
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...History of Religion The history of religion refers to the written record of human religious experiences and ideas. The religious history began with the invention of writing about 5,000 years ago in the Near East. It was interesting to find out that prehistory of religion relates to a study of religious beliefs that existed prior to the advent of written records. It is interesting to note that the Religions were divided into stages of progression from simple to complex societies such as polytheistic to monotheistic. However, there are now claimed "that religion evolved from polytheism to monotheism has now been discredited" (p. 1763, Man, Myth & Magic, 1995) Value of Religion Organized religion emerged as a means of providing social and economic stability to large populations through the following ways: 1.) Organized religion served to justify the central authority, which in turn possessed the right to collect taxes in return for providing social and security services to the state. Example the empires of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia were theocracies’s. 2.) Organized religion emerged as means of maintaining peace between unrelated individuals (Armstrong, 1994). Neolithic Religions Humans used to live a nomadic and hunter gatherer lifestyle. We can say here that Neolithic period started when humans gave up their nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles in order to begin farming. As a result, States and Empires resulted in more specialized and developed forms of religion that...
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