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The first commercially successful mass printing press with moveable type is generally credited to German jeweler and metalworker Johannes Gutenberg (1398–1468) in the year 1448. Other printing techniques existed prior to 1448 in Asia and Europe (e.g., woodblock printing, moveable clay and metal type). The development of mass printed books, however, provided the impetus to great social and cultural changes such as the Reformation, the Renaissance and the scientific revolution. Critics also question how our evolution from a handwriting to a print culture has impacted areas as diverse as societal attitudes towards handwriting, the use of ancient languages and later technological advancements such as digital media.