Source 3: Innovations
Two key innovations significantly transformed life for people during the Song Dynasty. One groundbreaking change was the introduction of woodblock printing, which revolutionized the mass production of books. Unlike the labor-intensive process of handwriting each page, woodblock printing allowed for the replication of the same page multiple times, providing a tremendous advantage. This not only made book production more efficient but also lowered the cost of producing books, making books more affordable for more people. The increased availability of books, in turn, contributed to a rise in literacy rates, fostering a more educated population.
Another noteworthy invention that positively impacted the lives of people during the Song Dynasty was drought-resistant rice. This innovation led to a substantial increase in rice production, resulting in a surplus of food to sustain the growing population. The enhanced agricultural output played a pivotal role in the demographic boom of the Song Dynasty, with the population soaring to over 100 million people, one of the largest populations in the world at the time. This expansion solidified the empire's position as one of the largest and most influential during that period.
In the Pear Deck: Does this source seem to suggest that the Song Dynasty was a golden age? Identify one sentence from this source that supports your answer