Notable Inventions during the Medieval era

Playing Cards-Introduced into Europe in the second half of the 14th Century through contact with the Saracens

Water Mills-known from the 8th century

Horse collars and Harness c.11th century

Windmills -Thought to have been a Persian invention, the Windmill appeared in Europe following the crusades. The first recorded Windmills in England being noted in the 12th century.

Magnetic Compass c.1200

Paper-The first European Papermill (paper being a Chinese discovery from c.150 AD) was established at Xativa in Spain around 1056

Distilling-Arab alchemists discover the process of distilling spirits in the 10th-11th century AD (Sometimes disputed by a claim that the process was known to the Celts as early as the 3rd Century)

Navigation charts

Iron casting

Double Entry Book-keeping ...Florence 13th century

Gunpowder-Invented by the Chinese in the 9th century it was not known in Europe until Roger Bacon published the formula in 1242

Wax Candles

Printing-Printing using movable blocks was invented by Johann Gutenberg in Germany in the 1440s. It was introduced into England by William Caxton in 1476

Stern Rudders on ships

Spectacles-Around 1284 in Italy, Salvino D'Armate is credited with inventing the first wearable eye glasses

Article added: 2006-06-24 @ 1:30 am | Last Modified: 2006-06-24 @ 3:11 am

All text within the Medieval Wiki is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
Medieval Wiki Version 3.1.2