from
https://www.medievalists.net/2023/06/medieval-inventions-world/

10 Medieval Inventions that Changed the World

Many inventions from the Middle Ages have had lasting importance, even
to the present day. Some are physical objects, while others are more of
a place – our list looks at ten inventions that made a big impact on our
daily lives.

1. Mechanical Clock
Timekeeping devices have emerged since the ancient world, but it was not
until the 13th century that technology was invented that allowed
mechanical clocks to accurately keep track of time. In monasteries and
towns one can see continuous improvement in these mechanisms that made
use of falling weights to power their delicate instruments.

This miniature shows Richard of Wallingford, Abbot of St Albans,
pointing to a clock he made. Wikimedia Commons
The knowledge of not only what hour it was, but even what minute and
second it was, would change the way people scheduled their days and work
patterns, especially in urban areas. Today, we take for granted the
importance of time and knowing what time it is when comes to managing
our day-to-day affairs. It was only in the Later Middle Ages that this
concept began to emerge.

2. Printing Press

An early wooden printing press, depicted in 1568.
Printing technology in China dates back to the 6ht century AD, with the
invention of moveable type coming in the 11th century. With a vast
number of uses for printing, it is not a surprise that the technology
spread throughout East Asia, and then westward into the Middle East and
Europe.

One of the biggest developments in printing came from the 15th-century
German craftsman Johannes Gutenberg, whose version of moveable type and
the printing press made the whole process much easier and more
efficient. Gutenberg’s printing press started a new era of the mass
production of books. Until the rise of computers in the 20th century,
books and the printed word would remain the dominant form of media for
the world’s knowledge.

3. Gunpowder
Gunpowder was invented in China sometime between the 9th and 11th
centuries, and it did not take long to be used in weapons. As the
Mongols spread the invention’s knowledge throughout Eurasia in the 13th
century, we see more experimentation with gunpowder and with creating
weapons that could harness its power.

Knights with a cannon in the 14th century – British Library Additional
MS 47680 f. 44v
By the end of the Middle Ages, those running armies and fighting wars
understood that weapons using gunpowder, whether they be cannons or
handheld guns, would make knights and castles obsolete. Gunpowder
changed not only warfare but also how governments operated so they could
run the new military systems.

See also: The Origins of the Gunpowder Age

4. Water and Wind Mills
While mills were in use from antiquity, it would be in the Early Middle
Ages that they became very popular. For example, in England alone
records show that by the second half of the 11th century there were
5,624 watermills operating in the country.

A watermill along a stream – British Library Additional MS 42130 f. 181r
Throughout the medieval period, new and ingenious forms of mills were
invented, which allowed people to harness the energy from natural forces
like rivers and wind, a process that continues to the present day.

5. Coffee House
During the early Middle Ages, farmers in Ethiopia were growing coffee
beans and making them into a drink. It was in the 15th century that a
Sufis scholars in Yemen began to enjoy the drink and it’s ability to
keep them awake late into the night.

By the end of the Middle Ages, the drink was spreading into other Arabic
and Ottoman lands. With it came the creation of establishments to serve
the drink – coffee houses – which ushered in a new way of social
interaction. Coffee and coffee houses would make their way in Europe
during the early modern era.

[smartads}

6. Eyeglasses

A painting by Conrad von Soest in 1403, showing a man with glasses.
Although we are not sure who can be credited with the invention of
eyeglasses, this device could be found in Western Europe in the latter
years of the 13th century. Its ability to correct vision problems makes
it one of the most useful medieval inventions and a great benefit to
hundreds of millions of people today.

See also: Medieval Eyeglasses: Wearable Technology of the Thirteenth Century

7. Public Library

Libraries existed throughout the Middle Ages, with some having vast
collections – for example, the Umayyad rulers in Cordoba had a library
with 600,000 volumes in the 10th century. For most of this period,
libraries and their knowledge were often controlled by the rich and
powerful.

The Library of Malatesta Novello in Cesena, Italy is considered to be
the first-ever public library in the world. Opened in 1452, the building
was owned by the city commune and allowed readers to freely make use of
its collection. Today, public libraries are common throughout much of
the world and are considered a cornerstone of information technology.

8. Flying Buttress

One of the architectural innovations associated with Gothic churches
from the 12th century, the flying buttress allowed buildings to have
much higher ceilings, thinner walls and larger windows. The ideas behind
these innovations would influence architectural design into modern times
and allow for the construction of larger and more spacious buildings.

See also: Buttress your knowledge! The wonderful world of medieval vaults

9. Paper money

Chinese bank note issue in the year 1375 – Photo by BabelStone /
Wikimedia Commons
The first known version of paper money dates back to seventh-century
China. It has a very important advantage over coins made from precious
metals – they were much easier to transport around, which proved to be a
great benefit to merchants. However, the concept of placing value on a
marked piece of paper was slow to catch on. In the 13th century the
Mongols tried to introduce paper money into the Middle East, but it
became an immediate failure. It would take until the 17th century before
regular banknotes would be circulating in Europe, but it is now the
common way currency is issued.

10. Quadrant and Astrolabe

While these devices were known in ancient times, it was during the
Middle Ages that Arabic astronomers refined and improved upon them.
Being able to measure the distance between two objects, they proved to
be useful instruments in astronomy, navigation and surveying. They were
tools with many uses but also helped propel our understanding of science
and technology.

Further Reading:
Seb Falk, The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science (W.W.
Norton, 2020)

Frances and Joseph Gies, Cathedral, Forge and Waterwheel: Technology and
Inventions in the Middle Ages (HarperCollins, 1994)

al-Hassani, Salim T.S., 1001 Inventions: The Enduring Legacy of Muslim
Civilization (National Geographic, 2012)

Related Posts
Ten Medieval Inventions that Changed the World
The Invention of Time: Mechanical Clocks and the Age of the Manuscript
The role of the mechanical clock in medieval science
Medieval Inventions
Time and the Middle Ages

On Sat, 1 Jul 2023 12:19:30 -0700, a425couple <a425couple@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>5. Coffee House
>During the early Middle Ages, farmers in Ethiopia were growing coffee
>beans and making them into a drink. It was in the 15th century that a
>Sufis scholars in Yemen began to enjoy the drink and it’s ability to
>keep them awake late into the night.

Only in the 15th century?

Because the introduction of coffee into Europe came as a result of the
unsuccessful Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683 and during the looting of
the Turkish baggage train Austrian looters discovered 8 tons of coffee
beans and captured Turkish prisoners who showed them what to do with
the beans (including how to cultivate them to get more coffee....)

From there came the 'coffee house culture' that spread to the rest of
Europe in under 100 years.

On Saturday, July 8, 2023 at 12:17:51 PM UTC-4, The Horny Goat wrote:
> On Sat, 1 Jul 2023 12:19:30 -0700, a425couple <a425c...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> >5. Coffee House
> >During the early Middle Ages, farmers in Ethiopia were growing coffee
> >beans and making them into a drink. It was in the 15th century that a
> >Sufis scholars in Yemen began to enjoy the drink and it’s ability to
> >keep them awake late into the night.
> Only in the 15th century?
>
> Because the introduction of coffee into Europe came as a result of the
> unsuccessful Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683

It was an earlier siege, 1529.

Which makes sense as British coffee shops such as Lloyds were well in business
by 1700. Opened in 1686, if I can trust a google search.

William Hyde

On 7/8/23 12:00, William Hyde wrote:
> On Saturday, July 8, 2023 at 12:17:51 PM UTC-4, The Horny Goat wrote:
>> On Sat, 1 Jul 2023 12:19:30 -0700, a425couple <a425c...@hotmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>> 5. Coffee House
>>> During the early Middle Ages, farmers in Ethiopia were growing coffee
>>> beans and making them into a drink. It was in the 15th century that a
>>> Sufis scholars in Yemen began to enjoy the drink and it’s ability to
>>> keep them awake late into the night.
>> Only in the 15th century?
>>
>> Because the introduction of coffee into Europe came as a result of the
>> unsuccessful Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683
>
>
> It was an earlier siege, 1529.
>
> Which makes sense as British coffee shops such as Lloyds were well in business
> by 1700. Opened in 1686, if I can trust a google search.
>
> William Hyde
>

Yes.
And the Islamic siege of Constantinople in 1453 did not do much
to introduce good things to Europe.
Happy winners did not return from this war.

Fall of Constantinople
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Fall_of_Constantinople
The city was captured on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a
53-day siege which had begun on 6 April. The attacking Ottoman Army,
which significantly ...

The conquest of Constantinople and the fall of the Byzantine Empire was
a watershed of the Late Middle Ages, marking the effective end of the
last remains of the Roman Empire, a state which began in roughly 27 BC
and had lasted nearly 1500 years. Among many modern historians, the fall
of Constantinople is considered the end of the medieval period

On Wed, 12 Jul 2023 09:13:04 -0700, a425couple
<a425couple@hotmail.com> wrote:

>And the Islamic siege of Constantinople in 1453 did not do much
>to introduce good things to Europe.
>Happy winners did not return from this war.
>
>Fall of Constantinople
>https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Fall_of_Constantinople
>The city was captured on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a
>53-day siege which had begun on 6 April. The attacking Ottoman Army,
>which significantly ...
>
>The conquest of Constantinople and the fall of the Byzantine Empire was
>a watershed of the Late Middle Ages, marking the effective end of the
>last remains of the Roman Empire, a state which began in roughly 27 BC
>and had lasted nearly 1500 years. Among many modern historians, the fall
>of Constantinople is considered the end of the medieval period

As a chess player I'd argue the opposite since chess was popularized
in Europe by refugees from Constantinople - admittedly a very high
price to pay for a game but still significant. And of course it
effectively established Russian Orthodoxy as something quite distinct
from the rest of Europe.

On Saturday, July 8, 2023 at 9:17:51 AM UTC-7, The Horny Goat wrote:
> On Sat, 1 Jul 2023 12:19:30 -0700, a425couple <a425c...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> >5. Coffee House
> >During the early Middle Ages, farmers in Ethiopia were growing coffee
> >beans and making them into a drink. It was in the 15th century that a
> >Sufis scholars in Yemen began to enjoy the drink and it’s ability to
> >keep them awake late into the night.
> Only in the 15th century?
>
> Because the introduction of coffee into Europe came as a result of the
> unsuccessful Turkish siege of Vienna in 1683 and during the looting of
> the Turkish baggage train Austrian looters discovered 8 tons of coffee
> beans and captured Turkish prisoners who showed them what to do with
> the beans (including how to cultivate them to get more coffee....)
>
> From there came the 'coffee house culture' that spread to the rest of
> Europe in under 100 years.

(2021 Book which may be of interest):

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-short-history-of-coffee-gordon-kerr/1138867333?ean=9780857304209