Agricultural Innovations Transform Han Farming
During the Han Dynasty engineering innovations improved the tools used in farming. These innovations allowed farmers to grow more crops and work more efficiently.
Chain Pump
- The chain pump was an invention used by Han farmers that helped move water from low irrigation ditches up to the fields. The chain pump consisted of a continuous moving chain and plates that scooped up water on one side of the pump and returned empty on the other side. The machine was operated with a treadmill like function. Farmers could then more easily irrigate terraced fields.
Iron Plow
- The improvements in iron working in the Han Dynasty allowed farmers to make stronger plows. With an improved plow farmers could be more productive and work larger fields.
Waterwheel
- The waterwheel was another invention that improved farming in the Han Dynasty. The waterwheel used buckets to scoop up water which rotated around the center point. This invention made it a lot easier for the Han farmers and villagers to gather water for cooking, bathing, drinking, and to water fields.
Wheelbarrow
- Another useful tool invented in the Han Dynasty was the wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow consisted of a cart attached to a single wheel that helped carry crops and other farming products with more efficiency.