made of a special clay and minerals found only in China (Beck 289). The Mechanical Clock was machinery that was driven by running water, which regulated its movements (Beck 289). There were two different types of printing that were invented. These were block printing and movable type. Block printing is when one block on a whole page is cut (Beck 289). Movable type is when individual characters are arranged in frames, used over and over (Beck 289). Printing technology spread to Korea and Japan, and also developed later in Europe (Beck 289). Gunpowder is an explosive powder made from a mixture of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal (Cotterell 188). It was first used for fireworks, then weapons. The technology spread west within 300 years (Cotterell 188). Paper money developed when paper currency was issued by the Song government to replace strings of metal cash that were used by merchants (Beck 289). It added to the development of large-scale commercial economy in China (Cotterell 188). The magnetic compass is a floating magnetized needle that always points north-south (Cotterell 189). It had existed in China centuries before it was adapted by sailors for use at sea. It helped China to become a sea power and its technology quickly spread west (Cotterell 189). China's strong government was a centralized bureaucracy. In this type of government, there is a group of non-elective government officials (Cotterell 181). The bureaucratic government of the Song Dynasty was staffed with civilian scholar officials (Cotterell 181). The civilian scholar officials replaced military governors and their supporters (Cotterell 181). This system of civilian rule led to a greater concentration of power in the emperor, Sung Taizu, and his palace bureaucracy then had been achieved in the previous dynasties (Cotterell 181).In conclusion, the Golden Ages of Greece, Rome, and China have produced many achievements that helped to guide people such as inventors, scien...
