Before Xia, Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties-77 BC1

In primitive society, China had agriculture, animal husbandry and primitive handicrafts. After entering the slave society, due to the hard work of the slave class, agriculture, animal husbandry and handicrafts have developed greatly. Driven by the production of agriculture and animal husbandry, the Shang Dynasty began to study astronomy and mathematics, made a better calendar and used decimal notation. The smelting and casting technology of bronze in Shang Dynasty reached a high level. However, due to the cruel exploitation and rule of slave owners, the social productivity and scientific and technological development in the later period of slave society were seriously hindered.

770 BC Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period-22 BC1year

Since the Spring and Autumn Period, with the development of iron smelting handicraft industry and the use of iron tools, social productive forces have increased rapidly. The slave class opposed the cruel exploitation and rule of the slave owners, and constantly held uprisings, which dealt a heavy blow to the relations of production of slavery and promoted social change. Representatives of the emerging feudal landlord class, Shang Yang and others successively carried out political reforms in Wei, Qin and other vassal States.

During the Warring States period, feudal relations of production gradually replaced slavery relations of production, which developed day by day in many countries, and the social outlook of our country changed greatly. Agriculture, animal husbandry, water conservancy, mining, iron smelting and other social production, science and technology and other handicrafts have flourished. The development of agricultural production technology laid the foundation of China's fine tradition of intensive cultivation; Large-scale water conservancy construction has created good conditions for the further improvement of agricultural production in China; The development of smelting, casting and machinery manufacturing technology has played an important role in improving productivity; China's medical theory system represented by Neijing was initially formed; Great progress has also been made in astronomy, geoscience, mathematics and physics. Many thinkers and scientists have put forward some simple materialistic views on nature. Xun Kuang, a famous thinker, put forward the brilliant ideas of "knowing the difference between man and nature" and "controlling destiny and using it", which dealt a heavy blow to the slave owners' theory of destiny.

Qin and Han Dynasties: 22 BC1-AD 220.

Due to the need of agricultural production in Qin and Han dynasties, astronomy, calendar, mathematics and other aspects have made great development. Fan Sheng Zhi's works, Weekly Articles, Nine Chapters of Arithmetic and Treatise on Febrile Diseases all mark the new level of agriculture, astronomy, mathematics and medicine in China. Textile, machinery, metallurgy, construction, shipbuilding and other technologies have also made great progress. The invention of papermaking is a great contribution of the ancient working people in China to world civilization.

Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties AD 220-589

Jia Sixie, a famous scientist, attached importance to practice, systematically summarized the production experience of working people and made great contributions to agricultural science in China. Zu Chongzhi is brave in innovation and has made outstanding achievements in astronomy, calendar and mathematics. Important progress has also been made in earth science, medicine, smelting and chemistry. China's science and technology continue to advance in the struggle.

Sui, Tang and Five Dynasties 589-960 AD

The establishment of the Sui and Tang Dynasties ended the long-term division since the end of the Western Jin Dynasty, and the social productive forces were restored and developed to a certain extent. The excavation of the Grand Canal has promoted economic and cultural exchanges between the North and the South. At the end of Sui Dynasty, the peasant uprising hit the powerful landlord class again, and eased the resistance of production and scientific and technological development to some extent. Driven by the peasant uprising, the social production developed greatly and the economy and culture flourished in the Tang Dynasty. With the development of land, sea and air transportation, exchanges with other countries became more frequent, and the Tang Dynasty once became a civilized power in the world at that time. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, science and technology developed greatly, and many new achievements were made in astronomy, calendar, geography, medicine, agriculture, textiles, ceramics, architecture and navigation. The invention of gunpowder and printing was a great achievement of ancient science and technology in China, and also contributed to the development of world civilization. Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi and other materialistic thinkers criticized theism and destiny, and developed a simple materialistic view of nature.

Song, Liao, Jin and Yuan Dynasties 960 BC-AD 1368

In the middle of Northern Song Dynasty, Wang Anshi carried out political reform. Some measures in the new law, such as the Farmland Water Conservancy Law, contribute to the development of social productive forces and create certain conditions for the development of science and technology. The invention of compass, movable type printing and gunpowder weapons is a great contribution of Song people to science and technology. Shen Kuo, a progressive scientist, has made outstanding achievements in many fields of science and technology. Great progress has also been made in construction, machinery, mining and metallurgy, shipbuilding, textile and porcelain-making technology. A new situation has emerged in the development of medicine.

Ming and Qing Dynasties (before the Opium War) BC 1368- AD 1840

Many fields of ancient science and technology in China used to be in the leading position in the world for a long time, but gradually fell behind after entering the middle of the Ming Dynasty.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the scale and technology of handicrafts such as textile, smelting, porcelain making, sugar making, paper making, printing and shipbuilding all developed to a considerable extent. Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica, Xu Guangqi's Encyclopedia of Agriculture, and Song's Heavenly Creations systematically summarized the important achievements in ancient China's agriculture, handicraft technology, medicine and biology, and reached a high level. After the middle of Ming Dynasty, western natural science knowledge began to be introduced into China.