Printing in Ancient China

Printing in China has a long history that can be traced back to the Shang dynasty, as early as 1766 BC. Although this did not resemble modern printing, it predominantly utilised seals and stamps that were pressed onto paper. This form of printing was also evident in the west at this stage as early Sumerian remains confirm. China however had a more complete paper making industry that helped with the development of printing across society; in the west however paper was abandoned for papyrus and parchment as this was a far more stable and robust material for documents. Another reason why printing was more widespread in China is due to the fact that literacy was higher than in Europe, hence more people wanted to read and more printed documents were produced. Like many inventions it is believed that he Chinese were the archetypes of the printing industry, the ideas eventually spreading to the west along the Silk Road.