The mechanical clock
In ancient China, one of the most famous inventions was the mechanical clock. About 1,000 years ago, during the 11th century, a Chinese engineer named Su-Sung created an incredible clock that was powered by water. This clock was very different from the simple water clocks people had been using before.
Su-Sung’s clock was huge, standing about 40 feet tall! It worked by using a water wheel and buckets. As water filled the buckets, they got heavy and moved parts of the clock. The clock not only showed time but also had displays of the stars and planets. It was very accurate and looked a lot like the mechanical clocks that were made in Europe hundreds of years later.
This clock was an amazing invention, but after Su-Sung’s time, the art of making mechanical clocks in China faded away, especially after an invasion in 1126 when Su-Sung's clock was stolen. The invaders couldn’t make the clock work again, and much of the knowledge about how to build these clocks was lost.
Even though it disappeared for a while, Su-Sung’s mechanical clock was a great achievement that showed how clever ancient Chinese inventors were. Today, we still remember it as one of the earliest steps in making clocks like the ones we use now.
