Complex sentence: Before engineering was recognized as a formal profession, women with engineering skills often sought recognition as inventors, such as Hypatia of Alexandria (350? 370?--415), who is credited with the invention of the hydrometer.
Split into simpler sentences: Before engineering was recognized as a formal profession, women with engineering skills often sought recognition as inventors. One of the earliest women inventors was Hypatia of Alexandria (350? 370?--415), who is credited with the invention of the hydrometer.