Han Dynasty's Paper Revolution and the Gutenberg Divide Revisited
Cai Lun is often credited with inventing paper in 105 CE, but earlier examples from Fangmatan and Dunhuang show paper existed before him. This episode explores the Han dynasty's paper revolution: how Cai Lun standardized and improved papermaking using mulberry bark, hemp, rags, and fishing nets, making it cheap and widespread. We examine why paper thrived in China but took centuries to reach Europe, creating a 'Gutenberg divide' — a technological lead that shaped history. We also discuss the role of silk, bamboo slips, and woodblocks, and how paper enabled bureaucracy, scholarship, and the spread of Buddhism along the Silk Road. Join Lucas and Luna as they unravel the tangled origins of paper and its global impact.
#HanDynasty #Paper #CaiLun #GutenbergDivide #ChineseHistory #SilkRoad #Fangmatan #Dunhuang #Papermaking #WoodblockPrinting #Buddhism #Technology #EastAsia #Invention #BambooSlips #Scholarship #History #FexingoHistory
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