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The ancient Chinese brought us many great innovations, including some that we take for granted in the modern world. As time marches on, it becomes easier to overlook the contributions of those who came before us.

Perhaps no other ancient culture has contributed more to the advancement of human progress than the Chinese. Here are ten of the greatest inventions of the ancient nation, in no particular order.

• The Compass: Originally, the Chinese created their compasses to point to true south. This was because they considered south, not north, their cardinal direction. The earliest compasses were created in the fourth century B.C.E. and were made of lodestone.
• Pasta? The jury is still out on this one, but it looks like the Chinese beat either the Italians or the Arabs (it’s unclear which) to creating the first bowl of delicious pasta by around 2,000 years.
• Alcohol: You c­an thank the Chinese for ethanol and isopropyl alcohol — not to mention beer, wine and liquor. By the early third century B.C., the Chinese had figured out how to refine food products like vinegar and soy sauce using the techniques of fermentation and distillation. Alcoholic spirits would soon follow.

Full list at HowStuffWorks.com.

Total aggregation of HowStuffWorks.com.

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