THE INVENTIONS OF

Middle
Age

2023
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
 HOURGLASS
ˈAU̇(-Ə)R-ˌGLAS
The hourglass first appeared in Europe
The
in the 8th century AD, however, there is
hourglass
little evidence of its use there until the
was a great early 14th century, when it first began
way of appearing in European ship
keeping inventories. It was likely first used on
ships because the bobbing waves
time.
didn’t affect its accuracy.

The hourglass is a timekeeping device

assembled by connecting two glass
bulbs together with a narrow neck.
Those bulbs are filled with fine sand or
sometimes ground eggshells. The
amount of material in the bulbs
depends on how long of an amount of
time one wants to measure. Once the
bulbs are put together they must be
sealed tightly so no moisture can get in
and clog the neck.

01 02
The hourglass has The hourglass was the
become a symbol of first reusable, relatively
medieval technology, The hourglass
accurate, and easily
one of our first was also used
operate timekeeping
attempts to quantify to measure
device of the age.
and measure time. minute or
There are many different ideas of It was also the first tool that could
half minute
when the first hourglass was keep accurate time at sea. Before
increments of
invented. Some think it was Greeks the hourglass, mariners had to use
and Romans in the 700’s CE, others time to
landmarks, memorization, and
believe it was by a French monk. measure a
guessing to travel around the world.
However, all historians can agree patients
that the hourglass of the Middle This often ended poorly for those
pulse..
Ages had the largest impact on who sailed treacherous seas.
society.

ECONOMY
Paper ‘money’ is older than you think
CHINA INVENTED PAPER MONEY.
HISTORY
Money provides a unique and
illuminating perspective on the
Middle Ages. Paper money was
first invented and used in 7th
century China, but it took over a
thousand years to become the
world’s main form of currency.
Middle Age
The purpose of paper money was not At certain points, paper money
only that it was easier to carry, but
destroyed the idea that trade is the
allowed precious metals previously
only way to obtain items, and
used for coin money to be utilized
allowed more cities to interact
somewhere. However, this metals
lost their value due to the through buying and selling which
popularization of paper money over previously had not. Now, every
coins.
country has its own currency.
Printing Press

The eruption of the printing press in the middle Ages was

a revolution: books could be copied with a speed never
seen before and their impact is incalculable. it
revolutionized culture increasing the number of potential
readers due to the multiplication of the number of books
and the reduction of their cost, therefore literacy had an
incredible boost never seen before.

GLOBAL IMPACT
The printing press was
the most important
revolution against the
absolute powers
(monarchies and
church) since it
spread knowledge,
something that these
powers kept for
themselves during the
ten centuries that the
middle Ages lasted.
 Good times with 01 02 03
heavy soil in the The economy
Those who were first to Since the cut was so
deep, it turned the soil
North
start using this
improved and this over and allowed for
technology usually
sparked the growth of emerged as the victors. more nutrients to reach
big cities with more the surface of the soil
The heavy plough
The world changed people and more trade. represented the same
and the crops to grow
better, and allowed for
The heavy plough
when a plough that started an upward
advantage for regions
where the soil was difficult
the same field to be
farmed for longer
could plough deep spiral in new areas. to cultivate without losing crop
production.
and turn over heavy

HEAVY PLOUGH
clay soil was
invented in the
Middle Ages.

Parts
The heavy plough was invented
during the medieval times or
the middle ages (5thcentury
A.D). The heavy plough is a
farming tool that was used for
initial cultivation of soil in
preparation of sowingseed or
planting. Plows were initially
pulled by oxen, and later in
many areas by horses. It has
threefunction parts that set it
apart from other types of
ploughs. The first part is an
asymmetric plough share,which

HOW IT CHANGED THE

cuts or plows the soil
horizontally. The second part is
a coulter, which cuts the soil
vertically. The third part is a
mouldboard, which turns the WORLD AND AGRICULTURE
cut sods aside to create a deep
furrow.
The invention of the heavy plough
made it possible to harness areas with
clay soil, and clay soil was more fertile
than the lighter soil types. This led to
prosperity and literally created a
breeding ground for economic growth
and cities – especially in Northern
Europe.
 COFFEE

From “Kaffa” derives therefore the “Coffee”.

The beginning of the history of coffee has
uncertain origins. It dates back to the Middle
Ages and can probably be placed between the
10th and 15th centuries. The first valid proof of
the existence of a cafeteria, and therefore of
coffee consumption as a drink, dates back to
the XV century, in use among the Sufi monks of
today’s Yemen.

Did you know?

According to the 2022’s world population review, the
top coffee consuming country is Finland. Did you know
that the love for coffee in Finland is so great that they
have a law that requires each company to offer not
just one coffee break per day to their employees but
two? The other 9 countries are Norway, Iceland,
Denmark, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland,
Belgium, Luxembourg, and Canada. It’s really
surprising to read the list filled with European
countries, as coffee was unknown to medieval Europe.

The smell of fresh-made

coffee is one of the
world's greatest
inventions.
MECHANICAL CLOCK
When verge escapement/mechanical clocks
replaced hourglasses

HISTORY
The mechanical clock, which
derived from water clock,
was born in medieval Europe.
The first mechanical clocks
were large devices made of
iron. By the 14th century, they
were in widespread use
across Europe. Two examples
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are Giovanni Dondi's famous
Astrario and Lorenzo della
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Volpaia's Planetary Clock.
PARTS
The first tower clocks were
actuated by cogwheels pulled
by a weight. However, in the
clock-makers were able to
replace the weight with springs
and spindles 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.
WHEELBARROW
History
The wheelbarrow doesn’t
appear in the west until the
Middle Ages and in fact the
earliest evidence suggests
that it was first invented by
the Chinese nearly 2000 years
ago, with the earliest image
coming from a carved brick in
a tomb dated to 118AD.

While the Chinese are credited

for the first wheelbarrow in
100 AD, it was basically a box
with a wheel underneath. It
must have been a clunky
affair, and hard to maneuver
over rough terrain.

A huge leap in a better design,

however, finally made its
appearance in Europe
sometime in the 13th century.

By this time, the wheelbarrow

had grown long, graceful arms
for handles, and the wheel
was now pitched forward
giving operators a center of
"Move forward.
gravity and a smoother ride.
Before wheelbarrows, Good things are
stretchers were commonly
used to move heavy materials up ahead."
around , but this required at
least two men on either end
to carry the weight.
 EYEGLASSES
A SIGHT TO THE PAST

WITH EYEGLASSES, EVERYTHING Most historians believe

WENT CLEAR AS CRYSTAL. that the first form of
eyeglasses was produced
The Middle Ages was a very inventive in Italy by monks or
period, and one of the things they craftsmen in Pisa (or
invented was eyeglasses. It's been perhaps Venice) around
reported that monks in the middle ages 1285-1289. These
used glass spheres as magnifying glasses magnifying lenses for
to read. reading were shaped like
two small magnifying
In the Middle Ages, eyeglasses were
glasses and set into bone,
made from two convex lenses confined
metal, or leather
by rims made of bone or metal. These
mountings that could be
rims were secured by a rivet at the
balanced on the bridge
central point. Additionally, the lenses
of nose.
were either positioned before the
wearer’s eyes or secured on either side of
the wearer’s nose. Also, lenses of this age
replaced magnifying glasses in terms of
usage.
TREADMILL
CRANES

Treadmill cranes made

building easier
There is evidence that similar treadmill
cranes were used during Roman times,
Treadmill cranes were simple wooden,
but the technology fell into disuse with
man-powered, hoisting and lowering
the end of the Roman Empire. They
devices developed and widely used
were reintroduced into Europe around
throughout the Middle Ages.
the 13th century, and the first definitive
reference to a treadwheel — referred to
They can often be seen depicted in
as a magna rota — was in a French
images and paintings of the period
manuscript dating to around 1225 AD.
during the assembly of monolithic
buildings like castles and cathedrals.
In the Middle Ages, they would become
commonplace at harbors, mines, and,
obviously, on building sites.
 ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS IN THE
MIDDLE AGES: MORE THAN JUST A TIMEPIECE

ASTROLABE

ASTROLABE HELD THE FUTURE OF TRUTH.

The astrolabe was a key

astronomical instrument during the
Middle Ages. It can be used to tell
the time, measure the heights of
stars and buildings, and for many
other calculations and observations.
It works because it is a 2-
dimensional representation of the 3-
dimensional Universe as understood
by the medieval astronomer - with
the Earth at the centre of the
apparent motion of the Sun.
On the back of the astrolabe are
concentric circles for calculations
relating to the calendar. As well as a
zodiac calendar, there is also a
calendar in which saints' days and
feast days are marked, providing a
handy reference for a medieval
religious man.
This large brass instrument, probably
made in the 14th century, is typical of
medieval English astrolabes. It has been
engraved for the latitude 52 degrees.
This is the latitude of London, so it is
reasonable to suppose that it was
intended for use in the capital.
The rete, a cut-out plate with pointers
showing the position of stars, rotates
over the projection. Most of the 41
pointers here are labelled with the
names of stars, many of them in Arabic,
reflecting the Arab influences on
medieval European astronomy. One is in
the shape of a bird but is not labelled - it
is probably marking the beak of the
constellation Corvus (the crow).
 Sometimes the simplest
technological innovations
can have a profound social
and historical impact
The metal stirrup was less world-
changing than the wheel, but
nevertheless represented a
breakthrough in riding technology that
led to widespread improvements in
the effective use of the horse in
combat.

Why was it
so
important?

Although it is perfectly
feasible to achieve very
Rigid stirrups provide solid high standards of
platforms that support and horsemanship without
brace a rider’s feet, giving a stirrups, this humble item of
more secure seat in the saddle tack makes certain
manoeuvres easier or at
and allowing the rider to stand
least more effective—
up, if necessary, to deliver a particularly with regard to
forceful downward blow. the military use of the horse.
 THE SPINNING WHEEL WAS INVENTED IN INDIA

SPINNING
WHEEL
TIPS ON ACING
THAT TEST
For thousands of years,
mankind has been
spinning fibers into
threads to produce
fabrics. Up until the
Middle Ages, hand
spindles in different
variations were mainly
used in Europe to
produce yarn from
vegetable or animal
fibers.

No one knows for certain who invented the first spinning wheel or
when. Some evidence points to the invention of the spinning wheel in
India between 500 and 1000 A.D.

The spinning wheel revolutionized the production of yarn, which

increased productivity and led to the establishment of a thriving
medieval textile industry. In turn, this helped set in motion forces that
would create a perfect environment for the beginning of the
Renaissance.
 Gunpowder
Although largely obsolete in
modern weaponry, gunpowder,
also known as black powder, is
still used in historical weapons,
fireworks and pyrotechnics. The
explosive is a combination of
varying ratios of potassium
nitrate (or “saltpeter”), sulfur
and charcoal.

Chinese monks first discovered

the mixture in the 9th century
CE, possibly while devising
medicines. The technology
reached the Middle East around
the 13th century and was
brought to Europe by traders
and crusaders soon afterward.

Making gunpowder Sir Roger Bacon conducted

is a bit like cooking, experiments to find the best
ratio of ingredients and is
except more generally credited with arriving
at the modern formula and with
explosive. describing in detail the process
for making gunpowder.
 Wind
MILLS
IN EUROPE, THE WINDMILL WAS ONE OF THE
GREATEST SCIENTIFIC TRIUMPHS OF THE
MEDIEVAL AGE
The earliest windmills in Europe
appear to have been post mills,
whose central body rested on a
series of posts and could be rotated
to match the changing direction of
the wind. These were increasingly
replaced in the fourteenth century
and beyond by tower mills. Unlike
the post mill, which rotated its entire
body to meet the wind, the blade
mechanism of the tower mill was
positioned at the top.
Windmills were built to serve a
variety of functions, such as raising
water for irrigation or sawing wood.
By far the most important function of
windmills, however, was to grind
grain for food. In this period, a
typical western European family
would consume about 1.2 bushels of
wheat and barley per week.
Grinding this amount of grain by
hand was extremely time consuming,
requiring about nine hours of labour.
 PUBLIC LIBRARY
THE 12TH CENTURY CAN ALSO BE
CALLED THE PERIOD OF THE FIRST
READING REVOLUTION
As Christianity became more It was also in the late middle
and more widespread, ages when the foundation of
monastic communities and the first universities started
monastery libraries started to throughout Europe. The
develop in the early Middle libraries of these institutions
Ages. These were religious began to provide a space
institutions that also for studying and books
functioned as learning besides the monastery
centers, encouraging monks libraries. They were
and nuns to study and pray. frequently used, because the
The main role of the libraries books and the knowledge on
was to preserve the their pages were extremely
collected knowledge and to valuable and expensive, so it
provide it to the people in was highly uncommon to
the monastery. obtain a private collection.
WATER MILLS
HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT

Throughout time, water wheels have been put HISTORY

to use to serve a multitude of purposes. The
In the Middle Ages, the Cistercian
most commonly known use was to grind grain, monks took full advantage of
but this was not their only function. When watermill technology. The
combined with the proper equipment to form monastic order was created at a
a mill, waterwheels were used to drive similar time as watermill
technology arrived in the west.
sawmills; move pumps; power lathes; forge
This meant that the group grew
bellows; make oils; power textile mills. There is at a similar rate as the popularity
evidence that water power has been used of watermills. For the Cistercian
since approximately 300 b.c.e. in ancient monks, the main purposes of
Egypt. It has been suggested that this watermills were to gain financial
independence or security.
technology was adapted from that of the
Persians or Chinese.
The waterwheel is one of the oldest forms of
power generation and is the first instance of
power being generated without the effort of
humans or animals. This shows how water
wheels were the main source of power for
Medieval Europe. In fact, it wasn’t until the
beginning of the Industrial Revolution that the
watermill stopped being seen as a primary
power source. This was a direct result of the
invention of steam power.
 FLYING BUTTRESS
The flying buttress is an
iconic Middle Age
development
The development of free-standing
flying buttresses allowed ceilings
to soar in the Middle Ages. The
classically huge stained glass
windows which many people
associate with this period would
also not exist without the flying
buttress, which is why these
architectural features have
become so famous. They are also
known, incidentally, as arc-
boutants.
Without a buttress, a wall with large
windows or ornate latticing could
potentially collapse under the strain
of a heavy roof and ceiling; as one
might imagine, architects invented
the buttress at a fairly early stage.
Flying Buttress: A New
Reconstruction
Flying buttresses are an iconic
architectural feature of Gothic
architecture and are often found
in medieval cathedrals. They first
appeared in the 12th Century
and remain awe-inspiring today.
Flying buttresses consist of an
inclined beam carried on a half
arch that projects from the walls
to a pier which supports the
weight and horizontal thrust of a
roof, dome, or vault. The weight
of these structures are carried by
the flying buttress away from
the building and down the pier
to the ground.
The addition of flying buttresses
enabled buildings to become
much taller and more elaborate
in design, allowing for higher
ceilings, thinner walls, and much
bigger windows.
 Liquors
LIQUOR WAS A MEDIEVAL THING
Distillation may well have been known in
ancient times — in the fourth century B.C.,
Aristotle wrote about applying distillation
to wine and other liquids, and there is
evidence that the process was used as far
back as 1800 BC to produce perfumes. The
Chinese may have used distillation to
produce alcohol from rice in around 800 BC,
and the production of distilled spirits was
reported in Britain before the Roman
conquest.
CONTINUE BELOW...

Alcoholism In around the 10th century, the alembic came into

was rampant.
use. This was a distillery, consisting of two
vessels connected by a tube. The first distilled
spirits were made from sugar-based materials,
primarily grapes and honey to make grape brandy
and distilled mead. In the 11th century, Avicenna
invented a coiled pipe which allowed the vapor to
cool down more effectively than in previous stills.

Most historians believe that true alcohol-

producing stills appear to have first appeared in
Europe around the 13th Century.

In the early Middle Ages, mead, rustic beers, and wild fruit wines became popular. This was
especially so among Celts, Anglo-Saxons, Germans, and Scandinavians. However, wines
remained the preferred beverage in the Romance countries. Especially in what is now Italy,
Spain and France.
COMPASS
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Although some rudimentary types
of the compass existed in China
and probably Mesoamerica before
the medieval period, it was in
medieval Europe that the earliest
versions of the modern compass
as we know it was invented.

Compass in medieval Europe

came to be simply a result of the
need for navigators, sailors, and
merchants to safely traverse the
waters of the Mediterranean.

POLARIS, THE NORTH STAR

A compass is a device that helps in Prior to the invention of the compass,

recognizing the cardinal points of
the Earth, namely North, South,
East, and West. Being able to
determine these directions was
vitally important to the sailors,
navigators, diviners, and
ecclesiastical authorities since the
days of classical antiquity.
directions at sea were determined primarily
by the position of celestial bodies. For
thousands of years, navigators had found
their way using the sun and the stars. In the
northern hemisphere, seafarers would use
Polaris – the North Star – to work out which
direction was north in order to help them
navigate across the seas. If they could see
Polaris, they knew which way they were
heading. While handy, this technique
clearly has substantial limitations, as it is
only of any use at night, with clear skies.
Rudders

02
Without the stern-
mounted rudder, and

01
the larger, full-rigged
ships, the European
Age of Discovery
Pintle-and-gudgeon stern-mounted
rudders were a major innovation
could not have
during the Middle Ages. Prior to happened.
their existence, boats and large
ships were maneuvered using oars
or quarter-rudders. Unlike modern
rudders, which are mounted on the
stern, quarter-rudders were
mounted on the sides of ships. Their
use limited the size of ships.
THE INVENTIONS OF

Middle
Age

Published by
Ay-ay, Neva Jane
Barut, Trizhia Nicolle
Caday, Michaela Shanice
James, Carmelo Anthony
Lopez, Alexa Mikaella
Miranda, Jesther
Pan-oy, Sophia
Reyes, Zeus
Tamayo, Justin