Everything was Invented in China! Quiz

Answer: False

In actuality, the abacus (a counting device) was first developed in ancient Mesopotamia, probably by the Babylonians. The abacus eventually made its way to Europe and east Asia through cultural diffusion. In Mandarin Chinese, the term for an abacus is 'suanpan', which translates literally as 'counting board'.

Answer: Cai Lun

In truth, Cai Lun did not invent paper, it was already in use at least 2 centuries before his 'invention'. The historical figure known as Cai Lun was involved in the improvement of the papermaking technique, by adding elements such as tree bark to the process, hence much increasing the quality of the paper.

In fact, the improvement was so substantial, that the product became known as 'Marquis Cai's paper'!

Answer: Middle East

Around 1200 B.C., iron was first smelted and worked somewhere in the Middle East. The Earliest Chinese use of iron dates from somewhere around 600 B.C. The Chinese likely did not independently discover iron, the discovery of iron-working was probably another product of diffusion. Conversely, it's probable that the Chinese independently developed copper and bronze-working, which made it easier to accept the new iron-working technology.

Answer: Seismograph

China has been plagued by great earthquakes throughout its history. By far the most deadly earthquakes in history have occurred in China (one earthquake in Shanxi, China killed approx. 830,000 people in 1556, while another one in 1976 in Tangshan, killed approx. 655,000) and thus there was a great necessity for an instrument such as the seismograph.

A very crude one was developed in the 2nd century A.D. by the great Chinese inventor Chang Heng, who could be compared with Aristarchus or Archimedes in his scientific eminence.

Modern seismographs weren't developed until the mid-19th century in the West.

Answer: Song

The first recorded recipe for gunpowder comes from 1044 A.D., in the midst of the Song dynasty. The Chinese were likely using Gunpowder for several centuries prior to this as well, employing it primarily for fireworks. The Chinese also developed the first weapons using gunpowder, mostly cannons, to counter the Mongol threat from the north.

The Chinese word for gunpowder is 'huoyao', translated literally as 'fire medicine'...doesn't sound too palatable.

Answer: True

It would make sense that this is the case, considering that the first paper was also utilized in China. The first recorded use of paper money was in the 8th century A.D., employed by the merchant class as certificates of exchange. The government began using paper certificates soon afterward for tax purposes. Paper money was not first used in the west until the 17th century, when the Swedish began printing their own paper monetary certificates.

The Chinese called their paper money 'fei qian', or literally 'flying money'...watch out for those gusts of wind!

Answer: False

Much confusion reigns in regards to when the potter's wheel was first invented. Some claims place the invention of the potter's wheel as far back as 5000 B.C., although it's more likely that the invention of the potter's wheel, and the wheel itself, came later than this. Estimates for the first use of the potter's wheel in China range all the way from 5000 B.C. to 2000 B.C., and the same can be said of Sumeria and Egypt.

It's possible that we may never know when the potter's wheel and the wheel itself were first used. One thing we do know is that the Chinese have developed some of the most beautiful pottery pieces in the world, and that porcelain was first created in China.

Answer: Crossbow

The crossbow was developed during the Warring States period of the eastern Zhou Dynasty. These early crossbows were developed using bronze at or near 600 B.C., several hundred years earlier than when they were first introduced in Europe.

Answer: compass

While the Europeans didn't learn about magnetism, and hence the functioning of a compass, until the 15th century A.D., the Chinese likely first developed the compass in the 1st or 2nd centuries A.D. The Chinese call their compass a 'zhi nan zhen', translated literally as 'point south needle'. Very straight and to the point!

Answer: Hourglass

Of course we all know that silk and chopsticks are associated with the Chinese. The Chinese first started weaving silk (or 'si' in Chinese) somewhere between 4 and 5 thousand years ago from the tiny silkworm. Chopsticks (or 'kuaizi', 'quick ones') were first used in China, but no one really knows when.

The first effective moveable type was created out of clay (with a metal frame) during the 1040s A.D. (Song Dynasty period) by the inventor Bi Sheng. This was 400 years before Johann Gutenberg developed his printing press (and some great innovations in the process of moveable type) that revolutionized bookmaking in the Western world.

The hourglass was created first by the Romans during the 1st century A.D.