Technology of the Medieval and Early Modern Worlds

Download or read book Technology of the Medieval and Early Modern Worlds written by Emily Sebastian and published by Encyclopaedia Britannica. This book was released on 2015-12-15 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the medieval period is often written off as a backward and benighted era, it was, in fact, marked by advances in wind and water power, agriculture, navigation, timekeeping, and military technology. The invention of the printing press near the end of the Middle Ages ushered in the early modern period. The achievements of this era—in particular the fabrication of scientific instruments, the development of commerce, rising urbanization, and the invention of the steam engine—laid the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution. Readers will be engrossed by this information-packed title and come away with a real understanding of how technology develops over time, building, by fits and spurts, on the technology already in use.