Among many the Middle
Ages, between the Classical
period and the Renaissance,
is still thought of as the Dark Ages. In their book Cathedral, Forge, and Waterwheel, Frances and
Joseph Gies
summarize scholarship that shows that the Medieval period
was one of commercial
and technological
advancement that welcomed invention and the dispersion of knowledge.
The authors present a history
of technology beginning with the contributions of Greek and Roman civilization
and culminating with European developments
on the cusp of the Age of
Discovery. The period in between is
sometimes called the Dark Ages because of the lack of documentary history, the
loss of the centralizing influence of Roman Empire,
and the loss of Greek texts and knowledge in much of Europe. The Gieses attempt to debunk the notion that
this time was “dark” in the sense of being backward, especially superstitious,
and lacking in advancement in knowledge, commerce, science,
and especially technology.
From a technological point of view, the Middle Ages didn’t inherit from
the Greeks or Romans much more than they might have learned for more ancient
civilizations. The Greeks little
esteemed the useful arts. The Romans
were very practical adopters of technology, and they certainly did things on a
large scale, but their main contribution was size and organization. Medieval Europe more fruitfully borrowed and
built upon technology from China. Ancient China had very advance technology in
comparison to contemporary civilizations, and the spice trade aided the
transmission of technology, in the form of both devices and ideas, from East to
West.
I think some of the greatest advances in this period occurred in architecture
and materials. In architecture, builders
began to move away from Roman circular arches to something more like true
arches. This, along with the flying
buttress, another Medieval development, made a new architecture of more open
and brighter spaces possible.
Materials greatly improved, too, especially iron. Either directly or as an idea, iron-making
technology moved from China to Europe.
The blast furnace gave Europeans the ability to make cast iron. Though casting iron parts was in their grasp,
the more significant issue was that a lot more iron could be made. Iron tools and parts made a host of other
technology practicable.
Technological changes led to cultural changes, too. Improved applications of animal
and water
power to agriculture
and food production led to a transition away from slavery to a serf-tenant
system in which the people who worked the field had a right to portion of their
production. Agricultural surpluses led
to the development of cities along with a decline of bound serfs rise of free
tradesmen. The development of
manufacturing led to all kinds of trade and improvements in commercial
practices including double-entry bookkeeping.
I think this book may be a good introduction to the history of
technology for people seeking an entry point to the field. It is neither too technical nor too academic
in its style. It covers a period of
history that is not as well covered by other popular books. It also acknowledges and summarizes the
technology of the immediately preceding and succeeding ages, so it covers a
very wide timeframe.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Gies, Frances, & Joseph Gies. Cathedral,
Forge, and Waterwheel: Technology and Invention in the Middle Ages. New York: HarperCollins, 1994.
