Technology & Infrastructure in the 7th century

22 sourced entries, 600 CE to 681 CE, oldest first. Also see Technology & Infrastructure across every century or everything else in the 7th century.

• 600Yangdi, a Sui emperor, extends the Grand Canal. He reportedly assumes power by poisoning his father. Ma Shu-mou, aka Mahu, was one of the canal overseers and was said to have eaten a steamed 2-year-old child each day he worked on the canal. On completion the canal extended for 1,100 miles. 5.5 million people were pressed into service to complete the 1,550 mile canal.source
• 600Quill pens, made from the outer feathers of crows and other large birds, became popular. The first books are printed in China.source
• 600The Persians begin to use windmills for irrigation (approximate date).source
• 600King Agilulf of the Lombards and Queen Theodelinda build a palace complex at Monza, northeast of Milan.source
• 603Emperor Wéndi stabilises the Chinese Empire; the agricultural acreage increases greatly, and shipbuilding technology reaches a new high level.source
• 605The Zhaozhou Bridge is completed under the Sui dynasty, the earliest known fully stone open-spandrel segmental arch bridge in the world (although the earlier Roman Trajan's Bridge featured segmental arches).source
• 605Emperor Yángdi orders the capital to be transferred from Chang'an to Luoyang. He begins the construction of the Grand Canal, that will link existing waterways to the new Chinese capital; it will be built by a million laborers.source
• 609Emperor Yángdi completes the Grand Canal; it provides an unbroken inland ship transport between the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. The canal network is 1,776 km (1,400 miles) long—linking five river systems—and extends from Beijing to the city of Hangzhou.source
• 610Paper technology is imported into Japan from China by the Korean Buddhist priest, Dam Jing (approximate date).source
• 621The Chinese establish an imperial bureau for the manufacture of porcelain. Their technology will advance further under the Tang dynasty (approximate date).source
• 631King Edwin of Northumbria refortifies the city walls of York, probably including the building of the so-called Anglian Tower (approximate date).source
• 633Li Chungfeng builds an armillary sphere (approximate date).source
• 634Tai Zong orders the construction of the Daming Palace in Chang'an. He builds the summer palace for his retired father, Emperor Gao Zu, as an act of filial piety.source
• 636The Xumi Pagoda of Zhengding (China) is built, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang.source
• 637King Songtsän Gampo builds the first palace on the site of the Potala Palace in Lhasa (Tibet).source
• 650Earliest confirmed date of habitation in the area around what is now Bluff, Utah by humans.source
• 652The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda is constructed in Chang'an (modern Xi'an), during the Tang dynasty (China). It is completed in the same year, during the reign of Emperor Gao Zong.source
• 656Empress Saimei of Japan builds a new palace at Asuka (Nara Prefecture), because her former residence caught fire. This construction is called the "Mad Canal" by the people of that day, wasting the labor of tens of thousand workers and a large amount of money.source
• 660Prince Naka no Ōe no Ōji of Japan makes a Japanese clock for the first time at Asuka, by which he causes the people to know the hours.source
• 671June 10 – Emperor Tenji introduces a water clock (clepsydra) called Rokoku. The instrument, which measures time and indicates hours, is placed in the capital of Ōtsu in Japan.source
• 674In Korea, Anapji is constructed by order of King Munmu of Silla.source
• 681In Japan the Asuka Kiyomihara Code is commenced under Emperor Tenmu.source