History of Medieval Technology Research Papers (original) (raw)

Over 2000 years the Catholic Church has slowly developed a posture towards technology which is predominantly techno-optimist and techno-progressive, and yet the Church does not have this reputation today. Concomitantly, Church institutions and individuals have made crucial contributions to the advance of science and technology, yet despite this practical effort to better human development, Christian theology has been remarkably uninterested in the subject of technology. This lack of interest is no longer tenable; scholars of religion and theologians should seriously engage technology because it is empowering humanity in ways that were previously reserved only for gods. This blind spot has not only hampered the Church's ability to understand itself and our world, but also impeded the ability of the Church to fulfill its mission. Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical Laudato Si has begun to address this neglect, but is best understood in the context of Christian history, not only as written, but more so as practiced.

- by Brian Green
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- Religion, History of Science and Technology, Historical Theology, Catholic Studies

La diversité du répertoire de céramiques à pâte siliceuse, datées des 11e-13e siècles, découvertes en Iran et en Asie centrale, surprend toujours un large public. L’œil est d'abord attiré par la finesse de leur parois puis par leurs
couleurs turquoise et bleu cobalt. Le visiteur ignore généralement que ces céramiques, représentent une innovation technique et stylistique sans précédent dans l’ensemble du monde médiéval autour de l’an 1000.
Les pièces complètes de la collection du musée national de Céramique à Sèvres permettent de questionner l’origine de cette technique et l’apport du monde islamique.
Ce corpus permet également de proposer, à partir de nos recherches de terrain récentes, un premier inventaire des ateliers ayant produit et commercialisé des pâtes siliceuses à l’Est de l’Orient médiéval.

The invention and spread of the mechanical clock is a complex and multifaceted historical phenomenon. Some of these facets, such as its social impact, have been widely studied, but their scientific dimensions have often been dismissed. The mechanical clock was probably born as a scientific instrument for driving a model of the universe, and not only natural philosophers but also kings, nobles and other members of the social elites showed an interest in clocks as scientific instruments. Public clocks later spread a new way of telling time based on equal hours, laying the foundations for changes in time consciousness that would accelerate scientific thinking.

Bruno Jané et Philippe Schiesser, Les outils monétaires du Musée de La Cour d’or - Metz Métropole et les techniques de fabrications du « Grand Est », actes du colloque coorganisé par la SENA et le Musée de La Cour d’Or – Metz Métropole « Le monnayage à Metz et en Pays lorrain de l'Antiquité à nos jours » du 27 au 30 septembre 2018, Recherches et travaux de la Société d’Études Numismatiques et Archéologiques 9, 2019, p. 195-222.

During the year 2016, there were discovered the relicts of man-powered ventilation machine on Grejfské vein complex in Kutná Hora (Kuttenberg) in Bohemia. The situation was under the naturally drained level of adit water and was therefore exceptionally well preserved. The machine consists mainly of wooden planks (side plates and side struts) and shingles, which were used above all for circumference wooden drum and centrifugal radial blades connected with the axis by 2+1 wooden squared logs. The air-intake opening was made as a large coaxial inlet on the front side of the wooden drum. The interpretation of the machine is supported by clay sealing tracks and postholes for wooden parts of the ventilation curtain leading the fresh air from the adit down to the lower part of the mine. The dendrochronological dating of the machine has provided two dates 1521/1522 and several other dates from the first to the second decade of 16th century. This kind of machine is also depicted on the well-known illustration from Kutná Hora hymn-book from 1490. The mine Bylanka IV where the machine was situated with ca 500 metres of adits and several shafts is a good example of mediaeval and early modern mining with a lot of tracks of used techniques and ways of digging adits.

- by Ondrej Malina and +2
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- Archaeology of Mining, History of Medieval Technology, Mining archaeology, Medieval Technology

Człowiek od wieków próbował ochronić swój dobytek przed kradzieżą lub zniszczeniem bądź dla zachowania prywatności. Z czasem, włączając współczesność, urządzenia służące pierwotnie do ochrony stały się trwałym elementem wystroju wnętrz i co za tym idzie przybierały różne formy - zdobiono je w wieloraki sposób. W literaturze przedmiotu zabytkom kultury materialnej jakimi są wyroby kowalsko – ślusarskie oraz innym funkcjonalnym i zdobniczym elementom związanym z zamykaniem pomieszczeń i skrzyń, nie poświęcono zbyt dużo uwagi. Odkrywane na stanowiskach późnośredniowiecznych i nie tylko, wspomniane typy zabytków poddawane są zaledwie opisowi, a nie szczegółowym analizom.
Niniejsza praca ma na celu przeprowadzenie dogłębnych obserwacji zebranego materiału ze względu na wygląd zewnętrzny i funkcjonowanie danego urządzenia lub jego elementu. Materiał zabytkowy pochodzi z 68 stanowisk średniowiecznych mieszczących się w granicach administracyjnych dzisiejszej Polski oraz ze zbiorów Muzeum Śląskiego Oddział Stary Ratusz we Wrocławiu. Omawiane znaleziska pozyskane były metodą wykopaliskową na stanowiskach miejskich, reliktach dworów obronno – mieszkalnych, zamków oraz badań podwodnych, których kontekst chronologiczny mieści się w okresie pomiędzy połową XIII a początkiem XVI wieku.
Rozprawa zakończona jest katalogiem złożonym z 331 pozycji, zilustrowanych na 40 tablicach. Analizę przeprowadzono na płaszczyźnie formy danego typu zabytków oraz ich funkcjonalności jako osobny mechanizm lub element składający się na większą całość. Zabytki poddano systematyce i gdzie jest to możliwe, dane zespoły zrekonstruowano pod względem działania. Rozważania zostały poparte analogicznymi znaleziskami spoza Polski np. z badań z terenu dzisiejszej Ukrainy, Rosji, Wielkiej Brytanii i Szwecji oraz Węgier, a także danymi etnograficznymi z czasów współczesnych.

- by Brian Green
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- History of Science and Technology, Theology, Historical Theology, Catholic Studies

La Edad Media se caracteriza por ser una etapa eminentemente práctica. Los hombres y mujeres medievales se dedican, principalmente, a producir artículos de primera necesidad con lo cual la aplicación de nuevas técnicas se limita a aquellos campos imprescindibles para la supervivencia. Esto es especialmente cierto para los siglos altomedievales, en los que la producción para el mercado es inexistente y solo se produce dentro de una economía marcada por el autoabastecimiento. A partir del siglo XIII, la reactivación del comercio y el auge de las ciudades, provocaría cambios sustanciales en las formas de producción válidas hasta ese momento.

Sundials in Roman and Byzantine Mosaics (1st – 9th Century AD). A scientific monograph. The sundials on ancient mosaics have not been the subject of scientific studies so far. The author has gathered together in this publication the sundials already known (Torre Anunzaiata, Sarsina, Trier, Saint-Romain-en-Gal, Antiochia and Brading; Figs. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9) and those which have not previously been identified. Thanks to the author’s new identifcations, the catalogue has been enlarged by six new sundials (Grand,Tarsus, Antioch – interpreted by H. Pamir; Figs. 3, 6, 8, and 10. Tayibat al-Imam, Jerusalem and Umm al-Rasas (Sebastis); Figs. 10, 11, 12) and three monumental gnomes-columns with multiple functions that were used as monumental sundials [Madaba (Jerusalem), Umm al-Rasas (Kastron Mefaa) and Rome (Jerusalem); Figs. 13–15]. In addition, recognizing fully John H. Humphrey’s interpretations, the author enriches the catalogue by eight ancient mosaic representations of obelisks in circuses (Lyon, Barcelona, Volubilis, Piazza Armerina - two mosaics, Girona, Carthage and Gafsa; Figs. 16–23). They performed the roles of monumental sundials. In this way, the catalogue includes twenty-three mosaics with the representations of sundials. They come from the Western and Eastern Provinces of the Roman Empire. The first mosaic is dated to the beginning of the 1st century AD and the last dates to the 9th century AD. The author, after a short description of each monument, summarizes the issue discussing the role of sundials in Roman and Byzantine society, their complex signifcance and symbolic difficult linked with the progress of time on which nature and human life are dependent.

In this article we give an overview of watchmaking at the time of Peter Henlein in the rst half of the sixteenth century. We present a stackfreed mechanism that is signi cantly older than previously known pieces and hence brings forward the possible development of at watches to the rst third of the sixteenth century. We investigate the pricing structure of clocks and watches from Nuremberg between 1521 and 1541 and present archival evidence to link a remarkable timepiece in the British Museum to the famous early watchmaker Peter Henlein of Nuremberg

- by Dietrich Matthes
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- History of Medieval Technology, Medieval Technology, Early horology
- by William Eamon
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- Medieval History, History of Medieval Technology, Medieval Technology

The author shows the resembiance between technology and magic. Both have the aim of taming the forces of nature and bringing them under their controle. Although their methods differ, the magician and the engineer pursue the same goal-Résumé L'auteur montre les similitudes entre la technologie et la magie. L,une et l,autre ont comme fin de dompter les forces de la nature et de s'en assurer le contrôle.

Notes of the study about Antonio Marini of Grenoble.

- by Zdeněk Žalud
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- History of Medieval Technology

Kniha byla vydána v Praze roku 1983 / The book was published in Prague in 1983.

- by Andrey Korotayev and +1
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- History of Science and Technology, World Systems Analysis, History of Technology, World History

El reloj mecánico apareció en la Europa de hacia el año 1300 como reloj de torre y en menos de un siglo se extendió por todo el continente. Paralelamente se produjo un proceso de miniaturización que dió lugar a la relojería doméstica y portátil que sirvió de acicate para el avance de la técnica. Además de cambiar la forma de medir y concebir el tiempo de los europeos, en pocos siglos el reloj mecánico se convirtió en uno de los símbolos más evocadores del pensamiento occidental. En el presente capítulo se hace un repaso general por la historia de este fascinante invento así como por su impacto social y cultural.

Los trabajos de restauración de las yeserías gótico-mudéjares de la Sinagoga del Castillo de Lorca se llevaron a cabo en dos fases: una primera de consolidación y limpieza de los fragmentos de yeso encontrados (llevados a cabo previamente) y otra de reintegración volumétrica, que es sobre la que vamos a tratar en ésta comunicación.

- by Emma Zahonero Moreno and +1
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- Art Conservation, Archaeological Conservation, History of Medieval Technology

A abadia cisterciense de Alcobaça, soberbo conjunto cuja edificação se desenvolveu entre os séculos XII e XVIII, foi fundada pelo rei D. Afonso Henriques, em Abril de 1153. Para o efeito, o monarca doou-lhe um vasto domínio adjacente, que... more

- by Virgolino Jorge and +1
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- Hydraulics, Irrigation, Water quality, Water resources

This workshop investigates the archaeology of technology and innovation. It aims to explore the methodologies used by archaeologists to detect and interpret technological change in the past and how we use these innovations to better understand the societies that implemented them. The workshop focuses on case studies from several regions and time periods in order to promote cross-disciplinary discussion and engagement.

- by Hagit Nol and +1
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- Cultural History, Archaeology, Islamic Archaeology, Cultural Heritage

The building of the Cistercian abbey of Tarouca was initiated in 1152 and the church was consecrated in 1169. In 1834 the monastery was secularised.
The inside quietude and the formal and semantic expression of the church corresponds to the monastic mentality of the first local Cistercians.
The investigations and the profuse recording of measures carried out in the church enable us to identify the use of an orthogonal modular structure as methodological principle for its architectural composition. The unit of linear measure adopted was the old king's foot (“pied du roi”). The fundamental module is 8 king's feet sideways.
As we can verify, the plan of the Tarouca temple yields to the usual proportionateness of the Cistercian churches following the Bernardin model.

In traditional writings about the Cistercians, the aspects relating to their hydrophilia are still little known. With this work, we intend to counteract this “hydraulic illiteracy” and show that the “white monks” also reached an indisputable competence in the area of survey and economic uses of water. Such competence was decisive for the scope, extended and fruitful, of their medieval communities. In order to work on proper health and hygiene conditions, the monasteries needed a solid and technically efficient hydrosystem, both in its shape and network, going from the water intake, transport and distribution within the cenobia, to the evacuation of household waste and rain water. This venture led to elaborated and strenuous works, some of them prior to the raising of community buildings. In the wide range of its tangible results, the history of medieval Cistercian monasteries is also a history of a long and close relationship between man and water. These are two topics of study as vast as meaningful in its religious, cultural and socio-economic context and relevance. The contents of these actions and objective reasons authorize, perhaps without exaggeration, the argument in favour of an intuitive “model” of Cistercian hydraulic architecture, which constitutes an open field of privileged study and discussion.

Reﬂexiones acerca de la forma de abordar los estudios sobre la explotación de recursos minerales y su transformación en la Edad Media. Se propone una investigación a
partir de las aportaciones de los textos escritos, la arqueología y la analítica aplicada a
los materiales arqueológicos, así como los datos procedentes de fuetes orales, iconografía y
estudios etnográﬁ cos. Se abordan las formas de explotación de minerales metálicos y no
metálicos, la sal y el agua como recurso mineral y como dichas explotaciones producen
transformaciones en el paisaje que pueden identiﬁ carse y analizarse desde una perspectiva histórica.

L'individuazione di evidenze rapportabili alla produzione del vetro, all'interno dell'abbazia di San Vincenzo al Volturno, risale al 1983 quando, con l'apertura della trincea FF, sul fianco sud del colle della torre vennero localizzati tre ambienti interpretati come officine. All'interno di uno di essi, il ritrovamento di una fornace e di numerosi scarti, connessi alla produzione di vetro, permise di ipotizzare la presenza di una vetreria, attiva a cavallo fra l'VIII ed il IX secolo da porsi, probabilmente, in relazione con l'edificazione della basilica realizzata, secondo quanto testimoniato dal chronicon vulturnense, durante l'abbaziato di Giosuè (792-817) e con il momento di maggior fioritura del cenobio (Moreland 1985 p. 37-59).

When I wrote my dissertation, published in 1984, Georges Duby was my idol. I wanted to show that something similar had happened in Scandinavia. Over the years, I have observed the discussion about Duby's hypotheses. What I wanted to do with this article (written 2014) was to challenge my earlier opinion. But I did not want to let the discussion participants appear under labels, or with short comments by me. Instead I wanted the discussion to be described through extensive references from every scholar – thus I could only refer to the main participants. In the end I retain criticism and opens to a different interpretation which partly returns to the origin: an attempt to a synthesis

"When talking about lighting a fire, especially for domestic use, modern man automatically thinks of matches and lighters, because collective memory actually ignores that, for thousands of years and at least up to the end of 19th century,... more

- by Andrea Carloni
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- Medieval History, Medieval Studies, History of Technology, Medieval Archaeology

Era l'agosto del 1455. A Bologna era in corso un lavoro piuttosto inconsueto. L'ingegnere comunale Aristotele Fioravanti (1420 ca. -1486?) stava spostando una torre campanaria in muratura. Tante persone, udendo ciò, non avranno creduto alle proprie orecchie. Spostare una torre? Chi avrebbe mai avuto l'ardire di compiere un'impresa del genere? Molti avranno pensato che si trattasse di una panzana piuttosto risibile. Magari era in corso solo e semplicemente un'opera di demolizione e ricostruzione. La curiosità però poteva essere più forte dell'incredulità, e sulla Strada Maggiore si formarono gruppi delle più varie persone, di ogni cultura e di ogni ceto sociale, tutte assiepate ad assistere a quello spettacolo. Era vero! Questo Fioravanti si era messo in testa di spostare per una lunghezza di oltre 13 metri una torre campanaria di 4 metri di lato, con uno spiccato di quasi 25 metri, a cui si aggiungevano quasi 5 metri di fondazione, traslati in blocco insieme alla muratura soprastante. Uomini e cavalli dettero forza motore a una batteria di argani, e come per incanto la Torre della Magione prese a muoversi sul serio. Tutti erano sbalorditi e ancora facevano fatica a credere ai loro occhi. Gli stessi operai impegnati trattenevano a stento il loro scetticismo, pronti a unirsi al coro di risate generali che sarebbe sicuramente esploso non appena la torre fosse caduta a terra. Quella fatale conclusione sembrava inevitabile. Durante il tragitto, d'altronde, si era scatenata una pioggia violentissima che aveva fatto finire un mucchio d'acqua nel canale predisposto per la straordinaria impresa. E proprio mentre la torre compiva la sua lentissima traslazione, lungo quel canale, vi fu un cedimento. Ecco, il momento della catastrofe è arrivato, tutti si dissero, chi con spavento, chi con malcelata esultanza. Ma Fioravanti non si perse d'animo e prese tutte le contromisure necessarie. La torre si riassestò, e continuò il suo tragitto, fino alla fine. Fu allora che un boato di gioia e di esultanza fece piazza pulita di ogni paura e di ogni perplessità. Dal momento in cui la torre aveva lasciato la sua antica collocazione, erano trascorsi quattro lunghissimi giorni. I contestatori più tenaci, quelli che fino in ultimo furono impegnati a coniare gli epiteti più maligni per quel Fioravanti che di Aristotele aveva solo il nome, dovettero essere i primi a salire sul carro del vincitore, dispensando lodi a non finire. Non solo fu tributata all'architettoingegnere la mercede pattuita, ma egli ottenne un premio per la sua audacia e per il suo ingegno, sia dal committente, sia dal coltissimo Basilio Bessarione (1409-1472), eminente cardinale (quasi papa nel conclave di quell'anno) che teneva il Fioravanti in pianta di mano. L'eco della sua impresa giunse in ogni dove. Una lettera con un resoconto dettagliato dell'evento fu immediatamente inviata a Francesco Sforza, duca di Milano (1454-1466). Moltissime città italiane si contesero i servigi dell'abile bolognese, visto che sembrava in grado di fare ogni cosa e di risolvere ogni problema. E ben presto anche illustri sovrani di Paesi lontani si fecero avanti per averlo nelle proprie corti.

- by Furio Cappelli
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- History of Medieval Technology