Ming Fu

Many of the inventions in ancient China were not intended for the common man to use. The ancient earthquake detector was such an object. There are no documentations of the exact intent of such a device but historians can speculate its place in society through a few of its characteristics.

The first thing one would notice about the detector is the material that it is constructed from. Bronze is considered as a valuable metal and is usually found in high quality weapons, ritual vessels, and other expensive pottery. A device crafted from bronze is not likely meant for the common peasant.

The second characteristic of this device is its size. The limited preserved description of the device talks about its massive dimensions, 6 feet in diameter in fact. Such scale almost seems monumental. A giant artifact such as this would certainly not have existed in the homes of commoners. In order to construct something of this size with such a valuable metal requires a lot of monetary and social/political power.

The original ancient earthquake detector was also engraved with intricate drawings and patterns of astronomical readings. Only educated scholars with connections to the elites of society, such as Zhang Heng, would know such knowledge. And such knowledge would only be given to the elites of society.

The most intriguing part of the ancient earthquake detector is its use of resonant frequency. Today, resonant frequency is widely used in many design professions including architectural design. Our understanding this knowledge has helped us increase the quality of life by allowing designers to produce safe and long lasting products and buildings.