Middle Ages

500 AD TO 1500 AD

Toilet Paper 589 CE

The first documented use of toilet paper in human history can be traced back to Sui Dynasty China. Zero 500 AD The concept of zero as a number, and not merely a symbol for separation, is attributed to Indian astronomer and mathematician Brahmagupta.

Flush Toilet 694–710 CE

In the Fujiwara Palace, the first capital of Japan from 694–710 CE, there were cesspit toilets (simple holes in the ground) and rudimentary flush toilets.

Moveable Type 1040 CE

Bi Sheng developed the first known movable- type system for printing using ceramic materials during China’s Northern Song Dynasty.

Fireworks 1000 CE

Fireworks first appeared in China during the Song Dynasty (960–1279), in the early age of gunpowder. Magnetic Compass 1040 CE Chinese engineers and mariners discovered the magical properties of magnetic, iron-rich minerals called lodestones in the 12th century, and used these minerals to produce the first magnetic compass. These new instruments expanded navigational possibilities, as sailors were able to obtain a clearer idea of their bearings when out at sea. www.illustratorinparis.com Chinese Dumplings 960–1280 CE First mentioned in literature in the Song Dynasty in ancient China, guotie are reported as being exceptionally good for the human soul. Rockets

1200–1300 CE The first gunpowder- powered rockets evolved in medieval China during the Song Dynasty.

BELOW The Great Wall of China at Mutianyu, near Beijing, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)

A toilet from the Fujiwara capital: People would squat across a stream and the water would carry the waste away www.japanesestudies.org.uk