[Buttons12]

Thanks for posting this. History is my favorite subject, and the history of technology is often treated like a poor relation of princes and politicians and generals.
The best history is that of homo faber, man the maker!

[buwaya]

“The best history is that of homo faber, man the maker!”

Exactly so. Almost everything has always depended on clever blacksmiths.

[marktwain]

The best history is that of homo faber, man the maker!

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I love the history of science and technology. An important part of it is how, without a supportive political environment, technological breakthroughs often were suppressed so they were not widely used until they reached a supportive polity.

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China technicians knew how to make excellent steel, long before those in Europe. The tech was suppressed or lost because of the politics.

China knew about gunpowder long before Europe. The tech was suppressed. Serious advances in gunpowder weapons happened when the tech reached Europe.

China knew about printing blocks and paper long before Europe. It had little impact because of the complicated Chinese writing system. The tech passed through the Islamic empires before reaching Europe.

In Europe, it was advanced and promulgated.

A fair argument is Europe had competing polities, but the Chinese and Islamics always had competing polities, perhaps not as many as in Europe.

However, Europe had Christendom, the others did not.