Inventions

 Middle Ages Inventions By: Ben Hogan The Middle Ages were in need for advancement. They needed new ideas so they began to make new inventions to help with every day life.


 * __Wheel Barrow__**

Even though the Chinese are credited for the very first invented wheel barrow it was a very bad design with a bumpy ride. It was finally introduced to Europe with many advances compared to the Chinese. Handles were added so they would not have to bend over also the one wheel was centered at the front so that the handler had better control over where it moved. This enabled this to be a one man machine so that one could carry a big load using the wheels and the easy handles. **__Spinning wheel__** The spinning wheel was born on the spindle, which is pretty much just a stick with a rock or something to weigh it down. Later on between 500 and 1000 A.D., the rich decided to turn the spindle on the side then add a pulley, which was connected to a drive wheel. When the spinning wheel met Europe, the people changed the design and used a distaff. This held the fibers together even though this took much longer it made a more consistent even thread.

Top 10 inventionsof the Middle Ages

The Heavy Plough 1 Tidal Mills 2 The Hourglass 3 Blast Furnace 4 Liquor 5 Eyeglasses 6 The Mechanical Clock 7 The Spinning Wheel 8 Quarantine 9 Printing Press of Gutenberg 10

These top 10 inventions were the most used and the most useful at the time. The reason that the heavy plough is the number 1 invention is because it greatly increased the amount of harvest that one could take at a time. This made it easier for the farmers and it increased the amount of food sold at the market. The tidal mill is a mill on the water that is powered by the water. When the wheel is turned by the tides it is also grinding up grain inside the mill house. The hourglass was a important to the people so that they knew at all times what time it was of the day letting them know when to eat meals or when it was time for special events. The blast furnace was run by matellurgists who were experts working with iron ore and smelting. This led to new weapons and tools. Liquor is alcohol which was not exactly an invention for everyday life, but a drink that everybody loved. The people loved it so much that they drank it more then tehy did water. Eyeglasses (specticles) farther down page. The mechanical clock was used for everyday in every catagory. They used for events meals and since it was mechanical they did not have to keep switching and fiddling with it. Spinning wheel farther up the page. Quarintine farther down page. Printing press farther down page.

All of the innovations after the 12th century were needed for advancements. For example, gunpowder was needed for advancement in war so they could attack from long range with dead accuracy. Next, they invented spectacles so that the people with not as good eyesight would be able to see and continue with their life. Moving on they greatly improved their water mill for more sufficient agricultural gain. They continued to build off the water mill they soon invented the sawmill based off the water mill, but for timber. After the invention of gunpowder, they started to build off that so they could break through enemy castle walls. This thought led to the invention of the small cannon.

With new inventions you need to know where to go so they invented the compass and astrolable. Along with these navigation skills came better and more durable ship building. This ultimatle led to the navigation of the world oceans thus bringing in more trade and resorces that they could not get where they were located. Next the printing press was a very fast way for people to gain knowledge of local news and all over the world. This could be done quickly because you dont have to write one page after the next you are just copying a page that you have done. Moving on to quarantine. This was avery helpful process that took 40 days. It made sure that one was healthy enough to live in the town. This made sure that somebody that was really sick or dirty would not come into the town and get everybody sick or spread illness. If a city or town was unclean or infested with rats or mice the people had to figure out how to get rid of them. This led to the rat trap which is to catch rats a mice. Lastly specticles were needed for people with need of help with vision. This was a very important invention back then because people that had bad vision were sort of useless because they could not work as well as another or fight in battles. With specticles they were just like anybody else without them.

In times of war a weapon of long range with dead accuracy and a fast reload was needed. They began to use the long bow. This weapon was around 1.87 to 2.11 meters tall and can shoot 180 meters away peircing a knights plate armor and chain mail. The reload process was actually very fast for the middle ages at 12 arrows a minute. To cunstruct such a flexible weapon it took time. The yew had to be seasoned for 1 to 2 years then you have to carfully and slowly work the wood into its shape. This whole process took around 4 whole years! The last part to a long bow is its string which was usually made of hemp, flax or silk which was attatched to the wood with "horn nocks".

spinning wheel heavy plough Bibliography [] [] [] [] [] []