Philippine Christian University

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Achievements, Inventors and Inventions

during Medieval Era

College of Business and Technology

(CBT)

A Partial Requirement for the subject of

Science, Technology and Society

Submitted by:
Ambata, Angela Patrice A.
Arcedo, Angela S.
Munsayac, Angela A.
Palmos, Maria Roselle Joyce
Silva, Xyrenlie

Submitted to:
Dr. Emilita Cosio, LPT. Ph.D.

2019 February
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MEDIEVAL AGES: TELESCOPE

Arcedo, Angela S.
Invention of Telescope

The telescope is one of humankind's most important inventions. The simple device that

made far away things look near gave observers a new perspective. When curious men pointed the

spyglass toward the sky, our view of Earth and our place in the universe changed forever.

Thomas Harriot, a British ethnographer and mathematician, also used a spyglass to observe

the moon. Harriot became famous for his travels to the early settlements in Virginia to detail

resources there. His August 1609 drawings of the moon predate Galileo's, but were never

published.

Elsewhere in Europe, scientists began improving the telescope. Johannes Kepler studied

the optics and designed a telescope with two convex lenses, which made the images appear upside

down. Working from Kepler's writings, Isaac Newton reasoned it was better to make a telescope

out of mirrors rather than lenses and built a reflecting telescope in 1668. Centuries later the

reflecting telescope would dominate astronomy.

The largest refracting telescope (one that use lenses to gather and focus light) opened at

Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, in 1897. But the 40-inch (1 meter) glass lens at

Yerkes was soon made obsolete by larger mirrors. The Hooker 100-inch (2.5 m) reflecting

telescope opened in 1917 at Mount Wilson Observatory in Pasadena, Calif. It was there that the

astronomer Edwin Hubble determined that the Andromeda Nebula was indeed (as some

astronomers had argued) a galaxy far, far away (2.5 million light-years) from the Milky Way.
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Galileo Galilei’s studies in physics, math, and astronomy brought new thoughts to the

science world. Galileo invented a calculating “compass” to be used for solving mathematical

problems. In 1906 Galileo heard that the spyglass had been invented in Holland. After he heard

this news he made a telescope to the doge of Venice. After that he built a telescope that had a 20x

magnification. He used his new invention to discover mountains and craters on the surface of the

moon. He also used his telescope to discover the four largest satellites of Jupiter, the phases of

Venus, and sunspots on the sun.

Malatestiana Library

The Malatestiana Library (Italian: Biblioteca Malatestiana), also known as the Malatesta

Novello Library, is a public library in the city of Cesena in northern Italy. Purpose-built from 1447

to 1452 and opened in 1454, and named after the local aristocrat Malatesta Novello, it is significant

for being the first civic library in Europe, i.e. belonging to the commune rather than the church or

a noble family, and open to the general public. The library was inscribed in UNESCO's Memory

of the World Register in 2005.

History and Influence

The building and creation of the library was commissioned by the Lord of

Cesena, Malatesta Novello. Construction was directed by Matteo Nuti from Fano (a pupil of Leon

Battista Alberti) and lasted from 1447 to 1452. At Novello's direction, the books were owned by

the commune of Cesena, not the monastery or the family. Because of this governing structure, the

collection was not dispersed like many monastic libraries.

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In 2005 UNESCO included the Library in the Memory of the World Programme Register.

The Malatestiana Library is the only one in the

world of the so-called humanistic-conventual type, which

blends humanistic principles with architecture otherwise

reserved for religious buildings, and has preserved its

structure, fittings and codexes since its opening more than

550 years ago. The main doorway was the work of

sculptor Agostino di Duccio (1418–1481). The walnut door

at the main entrance dates back to 1454 and was carved by the artist Cristoforo from San Giovanni

in Persiceto.

Inside, the library features geometric design, typical of the early Italian Renaissance style.

The aula has the layout of a basilica (reflecting the importance of the library as a "temple of

culture"), with three naves divided by ten rows of white columns made from local stone; there are

eleven bays in each aisle, which are pole vaulted. The central nave is barrel vaulted and ends with

a rose under which is the gravestone of Malatesta Novello.

The fittings are composed of 58 desks, with coat of arms at the sides. The light comes in

through the 44 Venetian style windows, which were purpose designed to provide ideal lighting for

reading.

REFERENCES:

 https://www.space.com/21950-who-invented-the-telescope.html

 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malatestiana_Library
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MEDIEVAL AGES: WAR WEAPONS

Palmos, Ma. Roselle Joyce M.

Middle Ages Weapons were used by feudal armies from the medieval times. All men in

The Middle Ages were expected to know how to fight. They were expected to be readily available

when called to fight for the king. Their lives were organized and structured to have military training

incorporated in their daily lives. Weapon training was provided by the lords. Weapons used in this

time range from a very simple tool to a very sophisticated machinery. It may look like very low-

tech type now, but these military weapons of the middle ages represented state-of-the-art battle

tools and gears back in the day.

Swords and Lances

Sword- most favorite choice of weapon of the knight in armor

during the Middle Ages. It was so widely used that even after

introduction of firearms, the uses of sword did not decrease, but

rather proliferated its type. It delivered the most damage for least

effort.

Falchion Sword – One-handed single-edged sword which originated in Europe. The design of

falchion is similar to the Persian scimitar and the Chinese Dao.

Lance- high status weapon, used in attacks by mounted men-at-arms. The force of a galloping

horseman, concentrated through the point of a lance, gave it incredible power.

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Spears, Mace

Spears- are equipped increasingly large armies of medieval rulers. Used in

large defensive blocks, they provided an antidote to cavalry charges. It is

cheap and easy to manufacture

Mace- which had been used since the twelfth century, was often made entirely of iron, as opposed

to earlier versions that composed of a copper alloy or iron head mounted on a wooden shaft. It was

heavier and more capable of inflicting greater damage, and was especially effective

According to DeVries, skeletons from late 15th-century Switzerland show the damage

from these weapons, with skulls cracked open by the force of the blow—a deadly as well as an

incapacitating attack.

Crossbows, Longbows

Spearmen protected archers, another important feature of the battlefield.

Three types of bows increased the power of medieval archers, giving

them more range and capacity to kill—recurve bows, crossbows and

longbows.

Crossbow- a weapon used in the Middle Age, consisted of a tiller, made

of wood and often decorated with horn ivory or bone, to one end of which was attached a short

bow.

Longbow – used by early civilizations as hunting tools and weapons, although in medieval England

the longbow was one of the most remarkable weapons of the time. It can be made from a single
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piece of wood and be easily and quickly crafted. They are shaped like the letter “D”. A weapon

didn’t have to kill to be important, it just had to take an opponent out.

Additional Invention

Quarantine 14th Cenury AD

The practice of quarantine, as we know it, began during the 14th

century in an effort to protect coastal cities from plague epidemics.

Ships arriving in Venice from infected ports were required to sit at

anchor for 40 days before landing. This practice, called quarantine,

was derived from the Italian words quaranta giorni which mean 40

days.

REFERENCES:

 http://www.medievalmiddleages.com/middle-ages/middle-ages-weapons.html

 https://www.google.com.ph/amp/s/www.history.com/.amp/news/medieval-weapons-

knights-middle-ages

 http://www.medievalmiddleages.com/weapons

 https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/historyquarantine.html
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MEDIEVAL AGES: TELESCOPE

Munsayac, Angela A.

History of Telescope

According to Encyclopedia Britannica, telescope is

device used to form magnified images of distant objects. In

1609 an Italian physicist and astronomer named Galileo

became the first person to point a telescope skyward. Although

that telescope was small and the images fuzzy, Galileo was able

to make out mountains and craters on the moon, as well as a ribbon of diffuse light arching across

the sky -- which would later be identified as our Milky Way galaxy. After Galileo's and, later, Sir

Isaac Newton's time, astronomy flourished as a result of larger and more complex telescopes. With

advancing technology, astronomers discovered many faint stars and the calculation of stellar

distances. In the 19th century, using a new instrument called a spectroscope, astronomers gathered

information about the chemical composition and motions of celestial objects.

The telescope was first patented in 1608. The first person to apply for a patent for a

telescope was a Dutch eyeglass maker named Hans Lippershey

(or Lipperhey). In 1608, Lippershey laid claim to a device that

could magnify objects three times. His telescope had a concave

eyepiece aligned with a convex objective lens. One story goes

that he got the idea for his design after observing two children

in his shop holding up two lenses that made a distant weather

vane appear close. Others charged at the time that he stole the design from another eyeglass maker,

Zacharias Jansen. Scholars generally argue, however, that there is no real evidence that Lippershey
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did not develop his telescope independently. Lippershey, therefore, gets the credit for the

telescope, because of the patent application, while Jansen is credited with inventing the compound

microscope.

In 1609, Galileo Galilei heard about the "Dutch perspective glasses" and within days had

designed one of his own — without ever seeing one. He made some improvements — his could

magnify objects 20 times — and presented his device to the Venetian Senate. Galileo was the first

to point a telescope skyward. He was able to make out mountains and craters on the moon, as well

as a ribbon of diffuse light arching across the sky — the Milky Way. He also discovered the rings

of Saturn, sunspots and four of Jupiter's moons.

Johannes Kepler studied the optics and designed a telescope with two convex lenses, which

made the images appear upside down. Working from Kepler's writings, Isaac Newton reasoned it

was better to make a telescope out of mirrors rather than lenses and built a reflecting telescope in

1668.

Some Famous Telescopes:

1. Hubble Space Telescope

This telescope launched in 1990. Some of Hubble's major

contributions include determining the age of the universe with

more precision, finding more moons near Pluto, doing

observations of galaxies in the young universe, monitoring

space weather on the outer planets, and even observing exoplanets.

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2. James Webb Space Telescope

This is the successor to Hubble, and its launch date has been delayed several times over the

years, with the latest estimate now for 2020. Its science will look at four major themes: the

universe's first light, how the first galaxies were formed, how stars are formed, and looking at the

origins of life (including exoplanets).

3. Kepler telescope

This planet-hunting machine has found more than 4,000 potential planets

since first launching in 2009. One of Kepler's major contributions is finding

more super-Earths and rocky planets, which are harder to spot near bright

stars.

REFERENCES:

 https://www.space.com/21950-who-invented-the-telescope.html

 https://www.britannica.com/science/optical-telescope

 https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/9-12/features/telescope_feature_912.html
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MEDIEVAL AGES: TELESCOPE

Ambata, Angela Patrice A.

The First Telescope Look Like

The first telescopes consisted of long tubes

with one or several cylindrical sections. The tube

could be made of tin, lead, cardboard, and wood held

together by copper, cloth, or leather ties and/or glue.

Polished lenses and mirrors were placed inside the tubes to magnify images and reflect light.

Major Problems with Early Telescopes

 Early telescopes were exceptionally small in size and had a limited viewing range. It was

nearly impossible to see objects further away.

 Earlier telescopes did not have a fixed place for the eye, meaning the images that appeared

in the telescope would move out of sight or out of focus.

 The smaller sizes also led to chromatic aberrations, meaning the telescope could not bring

the colors of the object into focus or alignment.

Major Impact of Telescope on Science

 Telescopes have given us significant insight into the workings of the universe, allowing

science to progress further. Nicolaus Copernicus argued that the Sun was the center of the

Solar System. With the use of the telescope, Galileo realized that the sun was truly at the

center. Yet, the telescope did more than convince scientists that the sun was at the center

of our Solar System.

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 Telescope has allowed us to observe planets and stars that are millions of miles away from

our planet. They have allowed us to see the surface of the moon and the weather patterns

of other planets. The telescope has also allowed us to look at nebulae or clouds of dust and

gas in space.

 Increasing power of the telescope gives us a clear understanding of patterns in planetary

movements. I

 Telescopes have allowed us to see into and study the depths of space, but they have also

given us the opportunity to examine our own planet.

 Modern telescopes can detect heat waves, x-rays, and radio waves. Telescopes

demonstrate how our planet interacts with others, and they can illustrate the properties of

gravity and physics.

 Recently, telescopes have allowed us to examine galaxies with planetary systems similar

to our own.

Hourglass (1338)

A dependable, affordable and accurate measure of time. The

instrument isn't liable to freeze as other time measurements systems of

the time did. Hourglasses are a medieval innovation first documented

in Siena, Italy.

Mechanical clock (13th-14th century)

The mechanical clock comprises an oscillating mechanism that marks the passing of time,

and an escapement that counts its beats. By comparison with astronomical systems for measuring
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time, the mechanical clock is less accurate, but can be consulted at any time of day or night, even

in adverse weather conditions.

The first tower clocks were actuated by cogwheels pulled by a weight, whose force was

regulated by a device called an escapement. However, beginning

in the sixteenth century, clock-makers were able to replace the

weight with springs and spindles or "conoids" that ensured the

same regular movement. This innovation made it possible to

produce ever smaller clocks. The clock thus found a place in the

halls of palaces, on walls, on mantelpieces, and even in people's pockets.

REFERENCE:

 https://nineplanets.org/questions/who-invented-the-telescope/
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MEDIEVAL AGES: WAR WEAPONS

Silva, Xyrenlie

Daggers

Medieval warriors often carried daggers designed not for

cutting but for punching through the gaps in armor. These

were used against incapacitated enemies, as happened to

Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. Based on

Richard’s remains, DeVries believes that his helmet was

cut off with daggers, exposing him to the attacks that killed him.

Tribuchets to Guns

Medieval warfare was mostly decided by sieges, and here a different sort of weapon mattered.

Loades refers to the trebuchet as the “weapon par

excellence for the siege.” By flinging rocks repeatedly at a

single point, it could hammer a hole in a castle’s defenses,

letting the attackers in.

The parallel development of handguns was equally

important. Used in small numbers in the 14th and 15th centuries, they were becoming prevalent as

the Middle Ages ended.

Quick Lime, Caltrop

The humble caltrop, a spiked metal device, was

scattered on the ground to puncture enemy feet. The

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sharp objects were important enough that Philip the Good of Burgundy included caltrops in his

niece’s dowry.

REFERENCE:

 https://www.history.com/news/medieval-weapons-knights-middle-ages