From a book I recently read: The ancient pagan era Greeks and Romans knew about water wheels, but used them rarely. Water mills became common in Europe after the Roman era. By 1086, a census found 5264 mills in England, one for every 50 families.
After the Roman era during the socalled Dark Ages, horse shoes were adopted and the horse collar harness was invented, allowing horses to plow twice as much in a day as oxen and transport more goods much faster. Stirrups and heavy saddles were developed during the Dark Ages too. The first heavy cavalry was used in 732. Roman era carts had no brakes and the front axles couldn't pivot. These things were invented and adopted during the middle ages. During the 11th century, rudders on ships became common.
The three field crop rotation system was adopted during the "Dark Ages" which is one of the reasons people ate better then that during the Roman era.
Romans buildings didn't have chimneys. Those were adopted after the Roman era, as were clocks and eyeglasses.
Paper was developed in China and had been made solely by hand for a thousand years before it reached Europe in the 13th century. When it did, the mechanical manufacture of it began immediately.
Gunpowder was invented in China and reached Europe between 1300 and 1310. Cannons were first used in Europe in 1324. Almost immediately, cannons spread all over Europe.
Summing up, practical technological developments were numerous during the so-called Dark and Middle Ages. |
