Gutenberg drew on skills and knowledge he had developed before inventing the printing press. Identify TWO are…

Question

Gutenberg drew on skills and knowledge he had developed before inventing the printing press. Identify TWO areas of prior knowledge or experience that directly influenced his invention.

Accepted Answer

## Model Answer Gutenberg drew on two key areas of prior knowledge: 1. **Experience with presses**: Having grown up on an agricultural estate, he had observed wine and olive presses since childhood. The olive press served as the direct model for the printing press. 2. **Goldsmithing and mould-making**: He had mastered goldsmithing and acquired expertise in creating lead moulds for trinkets. This knowledge was used to cast metal types for the letters of the alphabet. *Source: Chapter 5, Section 2.1 – Gutenberg and the Printing Press* --- ## Explanation The question asks for **two specific areas** — examiners expect students to name each one clearly and briefly explain the connection to the invention. The textbook passage explicitly states both: (1) the olive/wine press model and (2) lead moulds from goldsmithing. Avoid vague answers like "he was skilled" — name the skill and link it directly to the press. One mark per point.

Social Science (087) — AI-generated practice question