Those who live in the Western world often feel as though their civilization is, and always was, the most technologically advanced (and maybe even most important) in the world. However, that is not necessarily true. Many important inventions that we once used, or even still use today, saw their advent in the mysterious Eastern “Orient,” as the Europeans once called it. These inventions were not only revolutionary but also markers of one of the most advanced societies in our history, perhaps second only to modern day, industrial cultures. So, here we will look through ten important things that the Chinese invented first, that are still important to us today.
10 Booze
What is more important than the invention of alcohol? While the substance was certainly useful for tolerating the brutal conditions of the ancient world, it also had another, nearly miraculous effect. It was a sterilizer in an age when Purell and hand soap were distant dreams in the eyes of the OCD. It is arguable that booze is the very thing that made civilization possible, giving people clean drinking water and a way to sanitize wounds, foods, and pretty much anything else that they poured their liquor on.And of course, it was first invented in China. Nearly nine thousand years ago, as far as we can tell. In the late 1990s, archeologists uncovered shards of broken pottery in Northern China which had on them a strange residue. Upon further examination, the residue was determined to be left over fermented juices from rice, honey, and fruit, essentially giving us history’s first mead.What makes the whole thing even better is that this Stone Age archeological site also revealed some of the oldest playable instruments ever found, in the form of flutes made of bone. So chances are, those ancient folk were doing the same thing we still do, listening to music and get smashed with our friends.
9 Printing
Everyone knows Gutenberg right? From the famous Bible to the project trying to spread free textbooks, the man behind this name is one of the most important figures in the development of modern European culture.
Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press helped shape modern Europe, and by extension, a great deal of the world. But guess what, the Chinese did it first, and they did it way earlier. During the reign of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Chinese engineers began using wood blocks to print designs onto silk and other fabrics. This would soon transition into reproducing short Buddhist texts so people could carry their mantras with them. Finally, by 868, the first dated, printed book was published. It was a translated Indian Buddhist text called the Diamond Sutra. Oh, and for a little perspective, Gutenberg was born around 1400, nearly 540 years after the publishing of the Diamond Sutra.
8 Banknotes
Not long after coming up with an efficient printing press, the Chinese invented banknotes. Now, one might ask, why are banknotes interesting?
They’re just lame pieces of paper! Well, they are important because we still use them today. Nearly all modern currency comes in the form of banknotes, pieces of colored paper that are given value by the very people who use them. Banknotes began to emerge in China, even before the publication of the previously mentioned Sutra, in the 700s, as inflation and devaluation made Chinese currency inefficient and even annoying to use in bartering. So, they did the obvious thing and converted those gold coins into green Benjamins.
