Invention of Movable Type Printing Press
1040 · Medieval
Between 1039 and 1048 CE, artisan Bi Sheng invented movable type printing during China's Northern Song dynasty. His system used individually fired ceramic characters arranged on an iron plate coated with resin, wax, and paper ash. Multiple copies of common characters allowed for efficient typesetting. The invention was documented by scholar-official Shen Kuo in his Dream Pool Essays (1088). Ceramic movable type continued in use in China through the Qing dynasty.
Key Figures
Bi ShengShen Kuo
Locations
YingshanBianjing
Topics
movable typeNorthern Song dynastyprintingChinaBi Sheng
Connected Events — 2 Connections
The compass enabled Chinese maritime exploration and trade networks that spread printing technology westward, while both compass and printing represented complementary Song Dynasty innovations in navigation and information that together facilitated the expansion of Chinese influence across Asia Invention of the Sinan (Chinese Lodestone Compass)
Bi Sheng invented movable type around 1040 during the Song dynasty, whose thriving commercial economy and examination system created demand for mass-produced texts Zhao Kuangyin Founds the Song Dynasty
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