Researched
East Asian Printing
Woodblock printing in Tang China gives the oldest dated printed book (868); movable type follows in Song China and Korea.
Open in the interactive tree →The Diamond Sutra of 868 is the oldest dated printed book. Bi Sheng made clay movable type around 1040, and Korea used metal type from the 13th century (the Jikji of 1377 is the oldest surviving book printed that way), centuries before Gutenberg.
Prerequisites
Unlocks
- Paper Money~1000Song China printed its paper money from carved blocks
- Printing Press~1450Gutenberg's movable type had East Asian forerunners in woodblock and type printing
Sources
More in Foundations of Civilization · Middle Ages & Renaissance
- Baghdad Translation Movement~800
- Universities1088
- Printing Press~1450
- Scientific Method~1600-1620
- Scientific Societies & Journals1665