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First recorded mention in Europe 976, first widely published in 1202 by Fibonacci with his Liber Abaci!.
Artesian well 1126 A thin rod with a hard iron cutting edge is placed in the bore hole and repeatedly struck with a hammer, underground water pressure forces the water up the hole without pumping!. Artesian wells are named after the town of Artois in France, where the first one was drilled by Carthusian monks in 1126!.
Blast furnace 1150-1350 European cast iron first appears in Middle Europe (for instance Lapphyttan in Sweden, Dürstel in Switzerland and the M?rkische Sauerland in Germany) around 1150,[2] in some places according to recent research even before 1100!.[3] Technique considered to be an independent European development!.[4]
Compass 12th The first mention of the directional compass is in Alexander Neckam's On the Natures of Things, written in Paris around 1190!.[5] Either transmitted from China or the Arabs or an independent European innovation!. Dry compass invented in the Mediterranean around 1300!.[6]
Functional button 13th Buttons with buttonholes used to fasten or close garment, being the most convenient method before the introduction of the zipper, appear in the 13th century Germany as indigenous innovation!.[7] Became soon widespread with the rise of snug-fitting clothing!.
Grindstones 834 Rough stone, usually sandstone, used to sharpen Iron!. A long and difficult process, the first rotary grindstone (turned with a leveraged handle) in Medieval Europe occurs in the Utrecht Psalter!.
Heavy plough 5th->8th The heavy wheeled plow with a moldboard first appears in the 5th century in Slavic lands, is then introduced into Northern Italy (the Po valley) and by the 8th century it was used in the Rhineland!. Essential in the efficient use of the rich, heavy, often wet soils of Northern Europe, its use allowed the area's forests and swamps to be brought under cultivation!.
Hops 11th Added to beer, importance lay primarily in its ability to preserve beer and improve transportability for trade!.
Horizontal loom 11th Horizontal and operated by foot-treadles, faster and more efficient!.
Horse collar 6th->9th Multiple evolutions from Classical Harness (Antiquity), to Breast Strap Harness (6th) to Horse collar (9th)!. Allowed more horse pulling power, such as with heavy ploughs!.
Horseshoes 9th Allowed horse to adapt to non-grassland terrains in Europe (rocky terrain, mountains) and carry heavier loads!. Possibly known to the Romans and Celts as early as 50 BC!.
Hourglass 1338 Reasonably dependable, affordable and accurate measure of time!. Unlike water in a clepsydra, the rate of flow of sand is independent of the depth in the upper reservoir, and the instrument is not liable to freeze!. Hourglasses are a medieval innovation (first documented in Siena, Italy)!.
Liquor 12th Alcohol distillation by way of Islamic alchemists, initially used as medicinal elixir!. Popular remedy for the Black Death during the 14th century; "national" drinks like vodka, gin, brandy come into form!.
Magnets 12th First reference in the Roman d'Enéas, composed between 1155 and 1160!.
Mechanical clocks 13th->14th Weight-driven clock a European innovation!. Used in clock towers!.
Mirrors 1180 First mention of "glass" mirror in 1180 by Alexander Neckham who said "Take away the lead which is behind the glass and there will be no image of the one looking in!."
Movable type printing press 1453 Invented by Johannes Gutenberg!. His great innovation was not the printing itself, but instead of using readily-carved plates as before, he used separate letters (types) from which the printing plates for pages were made up!. This meant the types were recyclable and a page cast could be made up far faster than with readily-carved plates!.
Oil paint ca!. 1410 As early as the 13th century, oil was used to add details to tempera paintings!. Major breakthrough by Flemish painter Jan van Eyck around 1410 who is credited with introducing a stable oil mixture!.
Paper 13th Invented in China, transmitted through Islamic Spain to Europe in the 13th century!. Practically from the start processed by water-powered mills!.
Quarantine 1377 Initially a 30-day-period, the Quarantine was introduced by the Republic of Ragusa as measure of disease prevention related to the Black Death!. Later adopted by Venice from where the practice spread all around in Europe!.
Rat traps 1170s First mention of a rat trap in the medieval romance Yvain, the Knight of the Lion by Chrétien de Troyes!.
Rib vault 12th Essential element for the rise of Gothic architecture!. Allowed vaults to be built for the first time over rectangles of unequal lengthes!. also greatly facilitated scaffolding!. Largely replaced older groin vault!.
Rolling mill 15th Used on producing metal sheet of even thickness!. First used on soft, malleable metals, such as lead, gold and tin!. Leonardo da Vinci described rolling mill for wrought iron!.
Stern-mounted rudders 1180s First depiction of a pintle-and gudgeon rudder on church carvings dating to around 1180!. First appeared with cogs in the North and Baltic Sea, quickly spread to Mediterranean!.[8]
Segmental arch bridge 1345 The Ponte Vecchio in Florence is considered medieval Europe's first stone segmental arch bridge!.
Silk 6th Manufacture of silk began in Eastern Europe in the 6th, in Western Europe in the 11th or 12th centuries!. Imported over the Silk Road since Antiquity!. Technnology of "silk throwing" mastered in Tuscany in the 13th century!. The silk works used waterpower and some regard these as the first mechanized textile mills!.
Soap 9th Soap came into widespread European use in the 9th century in semi-liquid form, with hard soap perfected by Arabs in the 12th century!.
Spectacles 1280s European innovation!. Florence, Italy!. Convex lenses, of help only to the far-sighted!. Concave lenses were not developed prior to the 15th century!.
Spinning wheel 13th Brought to Europe probably from India!.
Tidal Mills 7th Medieval invention, harnessed power of tides to turn grain mills!.[9] [10]
Treadwheel crane 1220s Earliest reference to a treadwheel (magna rota) in archival literature in France about 1225,[11] followed by an illuminated depiction in a manuscript of probably also French origin dating to 1240!.[12] Earliest uses of harbor cranes are documented for Utrecht in 1244!.[13]
Watermark 1282 Medieval innovation to mark paper products and to discourage counterfeiting!. First introduced in Bologna, Italy!.
Water hammer 1100s (latest) Used in metallurgy on forging the metal blooms from bloomeries and Catalan forges!. Replaced manual hammerwork!. Eventually superseded by steam hammers!. in 1800s!.
Wine press 1100s First practical means of applying pressure on a plane surface!. The principle later used for printing press!.
Vertical windmills 1180s Invented in Europe as pivotable post mill, first surviving mention of one comes from Yorkshire in England in 1185!. Efficient at grinding grain or draining water!. Later also as stationary tower mill!.
Wheelbarrow 1170s Proved useful in building construction, mining operations, and agriculture!. Literary evidence for the use of wheelbarrows appeared between 1170 and 1250 in North-western Europe!. First depiction in a drawing by Matthew Paris in the middle of the 13th century!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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