What was the development of manufacturing technology in ancient China?

1 Manufacturing in Ancient Times

China is one of the earliest countries in the world to use and develop machinery, and has many inventions and creations in mechanical manufacturing. China in about 400,000 ~ 500,000 years ago, there have been roughly processed scraping, chopping and smashing and three-pronged pointed tools and other primitive tools. 40,000 ~ 50,000 years ago the emergence of grinding technology, many of the stone tools have been smoother, the edge of the edge is also sharper, and there is a single-edged, double-edged, convex, concave and rounded edge of the difference. A variety of stone axes, stone hammers, simple and rough tools made of wood and leather appeared in the Stone Age. Figure 2-1 shows a variety of tools from the Stone Age found in different parts of China, from which it can be seen that the sharpness and smoothness of the blades are constantly improving, indicating the improvement of human understanding and the development of the manufacturing process. In the Paleolithic period, stone was mainly used as cutting tools, while in the Neolithic period of Yangshao culture, due to the requirements of the development of agriculture, the number and varieties of tools were more numerous, and the manufacture of tools made of bone, jade and other materials was further developed.

Figure 2-1 Tools of the Stone Age

2 Ceramic Manufacturing in Ancient Times

The invention of pottery, an important symbol of the development of human civilization, was the first time that mankind created something brand-new by using natural objects and according to their own will (Figure 2-2). People mixed clay with water to make various kinds of artifacts, which were dried and then roasted by fire to produce qualitative changes and form pottery. It opened a new chapter in mankind's utilization of nature and transformation of nature, and was of great epoch-making significance. The appearance of pottery marked the beginning of the Neolithic Age. The invention of pottery also greatly improved the living conditions of human beings and opened a new era in the history of human development.

Figure 2-2 Ceramics in Ancient China

3 Ancient Bronze Manufacturing

Metal smelting and casting technology in ancient China was invented at an early stage and was technologically exquisite. For example, the bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou periods were simple and majestic, while those of the Spring and Autumn period were slender and delicate, forming a unique style of ancient Chinese bronzes. The Simuwu Dafang Ding (Figure 2-3) and the Four Sheep Square Zun (Figure 2-4) are typical representatives. The Simuwu Dafang Ding is a masterpiece of Yin Dynasty bronzes, and it is the largest bronze vessel unearthed in China. Simuwu Dafang Ding is 1.33 m high and weighs 875 kg. From the appearance, Simuwu Dafang Ding has a wide and thick abdominal wall like a wall, wide and fat ears decorated with the pattern of a tiger biting a man, the body of the tripod is surrounded by a thunder pattern, and the corners of the tripod are animal-faced pattern, and the inscription of "Simuwu" is cast on the wall of the abdomen, and the whole modeling of the tripod gives a feeling of power and might.

Figure 2-3 Simuwu Dafang Ding

Figure 2-4 Four Sheep Square Zun

4 Ancient Iron Manufacturing

The Iron Age is an extremely important era in the history of human development. People gradually mastered the technology of smelting iron on the basis of smelting bronze. The Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.) was the initial period of the ancient Chinese iron manufacturing process.

From Figure 2-5 casting jack bells and immortal Buddha statue to see, the use of multiple furnaces, while melting the alloy, casting large castings; Figure 2-6, Figure 2-7 reflects the use of stacked casting method of casting money and will be strung together filing the outer circle of the money; Figure 2-8 in the forging of the jack anchor on the diagram gives the heating, hammering and forging, lifting, flipping the tools used and processing methods; Figure 2-9 in the drawing of the line faceted needles, gives the drilling tools used, the drilling tools used, and the processing methods used; Figure 2-9 in the draw line faceted needles, gives the drilling tools used, and the processing methods used. Gives the drilling tools used, forging, carburizing and other process processing methods equipment.

Figure 2-5 casting jack bell and Xianfo statue

Figure 2-6 casting money