Foreign Influences on Europe.

 

 

Interesting, show your evidence.

In anycase printing has been traced to Korea, and went westwards during the Mongolian expansion. Guttenberg is considered today an innovator (made a better product) rather than an inventor.

The history of printing in Europe and Mediterranean area is quite ancient - Egyptians, Romans used stamps, possibly also on textiles. It is certain however that printing on textiles was known in the medieval Europe, especially for multiplicating complicated designs and ornamentations. Probably from various designs to the rich-adorned capital letters it was a tiny step and the expansion of written culture triggered the one of block-printing. The continuity of this evolution in late medieval Europe culminating with Gutenberg's invention suggests it is an autochtonous development. That Chinese printing influenced this process it is a possibility but at the same time just a possibility which requires a proof (which IIRC does not exist).

Gutenberg is actually an inventor credited with the invention (independent of what Chinese had) of the printing press and movable type printing.

 

That's not proof but especulation. The fact is that during the middle ages books were copied by hand, and in Roman times as well.

 

Originally posted by Chilbudios The continuity of this evolution in late medieval Europe culminating with Gutenberg's invention suggests it is an autochtonous development.

 

 

False, there is no continuity. Romans knew printing of textiles but they never had the idea of printing on papyrus!

 

Originally posted by Chilbudios That Chinese printing influenced this process it is a possibility but at the same time just a possibility which requires a proof (which IIRC does not exist).

 

 

Yes, there are lot of Chinese inventions where the direct link to Europe is unknown. However, people  today hardly believe that gunpowder was invented by Bacon

 

Originally posted by Chilbudios Gutenberg is actually an inventor credited with the invention (independent of what Chinese had) of the printing press and movable type printing.

Edited by pinguin - 10-May-2008 at 16:23

 

You are wrong, and very wrong!

Printing on textiles, or better, stamping, was know by Romans. Printing on metals, or coining was known since the 5th century B.C.

But books were copied by hand in Greece, Roman and Middle Ages Europe!

The point is that printing books started in East Asia perhaps one thousand years before that in Europe, and it spread to the western regions from there.

 

Now, you are trying to convince me something absurd: that just by the time Europe was going to receive that invention, suddenly Europeans invented printing by themselves.

That's not impossible but very unlikely.

 

 

 

But books were copied by hand in Greece, Roman and Middle Ages Europe! The point is that printing books started in East Asia perhaps one thousand years before that in Europe, and it spread to the western regions from there.

I asked you to provide evidence for the spread in Europe, repetitive claims do not qualify.

 

Now, you are trying to convince me something absurd: that just by the time Europe was going to receive that invention, suddenly Europeans invented printing by themselves. That's not impossible but very unlikely.

I can't try that because I can't hold such absurd claims. If Europeans invented printing, how could they be "going to receive that invention"? Either you prove your assertions, or we're left with a local development of printing and only with the possibility that Chinese could influence it. But a possibility does not make a fact.

 

I know what you meant. It is a similar technology indeed, but Europeans simply didn't applied it to printing-on-paper in Ancient times or in most of the Middle Ages!

 

You are so desesperate to prove that print was invented in your mother civilization, that you don't accept that printing on paper is what matters not in textiles.