Ancient Chinese buildings were joined by mortise and tenon construction; who invented it?

Tenon and mortise construction is the greatest masterpiece of ancient Chinese carpenters. It is an ingenious construction that makes clever use of physics, which makes the tools connected by tenon and mortise construction very strong. Mortise and tenon construction also has a nickname, called "ten thousand years of jail". This means that items joined by mortise and tenon joinery will not break in 10,000 years. As for who invented the mortise and tenon structure, folk and historical sources are divided.

In folklore, mortise-and-tenon construction was first invented by the carpenter's grandfather Lu Ban, and later developed by Lu Ban's disciples. This theory was probably first spread by carpenters because the grandfather of carpenters was Lu Ban, and mortise and tenon construction is the greatest invention of carpenters. So most of the carpenters were willing to give credit to their ancestor Lu Ban.

According to historical records, the earliest discovery of mortise-and-tenon joinery in tombs and ruins goes back to Hemudu ruins. At the Hemudu site, archaeologists have found a large number of dry-end mortise and tenon structures. Examples include fire-convex square tenons, double square tenons, and dovetails, to name a few.

But whether it was invented by Luban or the Hemudu people, it is the crystallization of the skills of China's ancient craftsmen, and its influence on future generations is immeasurable. With the increasing renewal of modern life, many high-tech products have replaced the manual skills of ancient people. But too much reliance on technological products often results in us suffering unexpected losses. Often, a small screw loosening can cause immeasurable consequences.

So, in today's technology, scientists are increasingly beginning to reflect on the fact that ancient inventions and techniques like mortise-and-tenon joinery are beginning to be utilized more and more in the field of technology.