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The Han Dynasty
By Kinza Parker
Introduction- What is Important?
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What is important about the Han dynasty? How did it
contribute to China? Well, today we’re talking about 3
important categories and their topics:
Scientific Achievements; astronomy,
seismograph/compass
Industries; salt, silk
Medicine; moxibustion/acupuncture, anesthetic
Read this, and soon you will know how the Han
contributed to the whole of China!
Scientific achievements
Chinese astronomers recorded the appearance of comets, or
“broom stars” as they called them. They discovered that the
moon reflects the sun’s light, and solar eclipses happen when
the moon blocks the sun.
During this period , the Chinese also had invented the
seismograph and the compass. A seismograph detects
earthquakes, enabling the Han to detect earthquakes up to
several hundred miles away. The Han also discovered that
when a lodestone is carved in the shape of a spoon it makes
a magnetic compass. This is important for many building
projects.
Internet sources
the compass was used for geomancy before navigation
The seismograph was nicknamed toads frolicking with
dragons.
Industries
One of the most important industries was the silk industry.
Silk was a very important trade item. A foot-powered
machine was made so you could easily weave silk.
Another Important industry was the salt industry. People
only used to know how to get salt from the sea, but
during the Han dynasty people learned to mine salt from
the ground.
Internet sources
 Silk comes from the cocoon of a silk worm (which is
really a caterpillar).
 Brine was drawn from the ground, and cooked till the
water evaporated and only salt was left.
Medicine
The Chinese believe that illness comes when the yin and
yang in the body are out of balance. One technique to
fix this is acupuncture, which is for sicknesses that come
quickly (ie. Head aches). One technique for long term
sicknesses (ie. Arthritis) is moxibustion.
Also, the Han discovered a type of wine that acts as an
anesthetic. Anesthetic is something that takes away the
feeling of pain.
Internet sources
 Physicians felt for the nature of the illness, not the
strength of the blood.
 Colors on the skin told the nature and progression of the
illness.
Congratulations 
And now you know, the Han dynasty is
important because of its inventions to
improve the daily life of ancient China!