Ancient China: The Origins Of Drilling And Mining (Full Frame)

Mining the earth for coal, erecting drilling rigs for oil and natural gas, and smelting iron ore are all fundamentals of the modern industrialized world, but they are nothing new. Travel to China to explore the origins and use of these vital resources more than 2000 years ago. Host Michael Guillen explores the site of ancient drilling rigs that drilled for gas centuries before anyone else. We explore the modern science of "geobotany" using vegetation to tell us what is in the earth beneath, and how the Chinese pioneered this.