Dark Blue - 2300 BCE | Dark Green - 1300 BCE | Light Green - 300 BCE

Cuneiform - Mesopotamia circa 4th millennium BCE

Egyptian Hieroglyphics circa 4th millenium BCE

Indus Valley Seal circa 2600 BCE

Ancient Chinese Script 1600 BCE

Printing - Early History Block Printing - stone and wood Existed in Asia and Europe Precursor to movable type

Block Printing - stone and wood

Existed in Asia and Europe

Precursor to movable type

Movable Type First appeared in China around 1041- Clay type Later type was wood (circa 1200) and could be found in East and South Asia Metal Type appeared in Korea in the 14th Century

First appeared in China around 1041- Clay type

Later type was wood (circa 1200) and could be found in East and South Asia

Metal Type appeared in Korea in the 14th Century

Johannes Gutenberg Invented the Movable Type Printing Press 1440 Mainz, Germany

Invented the Movable Type Printing Press

1440

Mainz, Germany

The Printing Press McCluhan describes this historical event as the precursor to our Modern World The Gutenberg Galaxy

McCluhan describes this historical event as the precursor to our Modern World

The Gutenberg Galaxy

Explosion of Print 1500 - 20, 000, 000 Books in Print 1600 - 200, 000, 000 Books in Print

1500 - 20, 000, 000 Books in Print

1600 - 200, 000, 000 Books in Print

Mass Literacy urbanization printing centralized government

urbanization

printing

centralized government

Development of Print Growth of Vernacular Languages Decline of Latin Growth in Readership Development of New Literary Forms Consolidation of the Nation State

Growth of Vernacular Languages

Decline of Latin

Growth in Readership

Development of New Literary Forms

Consolidation of the Nation State

Global Literacy Rates - Source: CIA Factbook