One of the most important inventions of mankind, which made it possible to preserve and increase its wisdom, was a book. It was she who became the main crown of writing, the focus and symbol of knowledge. But how did the book come about? What is the story of making books? How has it changed over the past millennia?
First sources
The history of the emergence and development of writing is inextricably linked with the history of the appearance of books. Initially, oral stories and cave paintings were the main methods of transmitting information. But over time, different peoples of the world began to invent their own sign systems to denote words. From this moment, a history of writing emerges.
As soon as people discovered writing, they immediately began to use any material at hand for writing. Stone and metal, tree bark, clay tablets and much more were used. The invention of the papyrus by the Egyptians was a great step forward. Before the appearance of parchment and paper, this particular material was mainly used for recordings.
Book prototype
In general, papyruses glued into scrolls can be designated as a prototype of books. The Phoenician city of Byblos, which is the center for the export of papyrus to the Hellenic poles, gave the Greek name to the book - Byblos. It is from this word that the familiar concept of library came to all of us.
In Greece, and later Rome, libraries became an integral part of life and civilization. Scribes wrote and published many books of a wide variety of subjects. The books of that time looked like scrolls wound on a special stick with thickened ends.
The history of the creation of the first book of this format is not known for certain. But the significance of such books for the ancient world is known.
New form
Around the 1st century AD, the first manuscripts appeared; over the course of centuries, they began to gain more and more popularity. This was largely due to convenience and practicality. After all, it became possible to write on both sides of the sheet. The manuscript, having a small size, was very convenient.
It finds recognition and honor in the Christian world, especially with the beginning of the active use of parchment, which displaces papyrus.
The history of the creation of books in Europe in the Middle Ages is inextricably linked with the clergy, as the most reading estate and for the most part creating books.
Paper is invented in China, which is later distributed through India to the Arab world, and from there to Europe. So gradually the book radically changes its image, starting to resemble the familiar format.
Book in ancient Russia
Initially, in Russia they wrote on birch bark, but over time other types of media came here, including parchment and paper. The history of the creation of the book in Russia had several significant stages. The appearance of birch-bark letters, which can be considered the initial stage, was supplemented in the 9th century by an equally significant event - the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet. Following this, the first manuscript book appears in the 11th century.
According to some historians, the first books in Russia could have been written before, perhaps even in the 10th century.
Evolution
Over time, along with handwritten, another type of book arises - printed. The story of the creation of the printed book begins in ancient China. There, the first printed publications on fabrics were created from the VI century (according to other sources - from the IX century), although the unit printing itself arose in China in the III century. For example, in Egypt, its counterpart appeared in the V century.
Over time, the unit printing spread to the countries of the Arab East, and in the 14th century it came to Europe. So religious prints, historical annals and chronologies, decrees of the king and even playing cards began to be printed.
In 1445 (approximate date), Johannes Gutenberg creates typography, making a breakthrough in a number of areas at once, from developing the font to creating his own printing press.
From Germany, printing begins to spread throughout Europe. All books created before the end of 1500 were called “incunabula”, which means “cradle”. At first, printed books retain a number of handwritten characters, but over time, they are increasingly moving away from them.
Over the following centuries, printing presses improved significantly, and the book itself became more and more like modern publications. The availability of paper at the end of the 19th century, the creation of steam printing presses, and later the introduction of linotypic and monotypic printing presses made it possible to significantly increase the speed and volume of printing, making the book much more accessible.
Together with the weakening of censorship and the expansion of the direction of writing works, the book has become a publicly available and incredibly important source of knowledge and a true friend of modern man.
In our time, the printed book continues to maintain its position, although the appearance of electronic books is called the next step in its evolution. The history of the creation of books is not completed.