Medieval European Inventions or Importations

• stirrups (6th C): made mounting & riding horses easier, allowed more stability in saddle, allowing for development of cavalry
• spurs (11th C): invented by Normans, allowed knight to control his horse with his feet, not just his hands, leaving him free to hold shield & wield sword, lance, or other weapon
• high-backed saddle (11th C): allowed knights to stay in saddle more easily, making charge with lance easier
• gunpowder (13th/14th C): introduced to Europe from China, used for cannons
• counterweight trebuchet (12th C): type of catapult used by crusaders & others to throw heavy stones or other objects by means of counterweight
• longbow (13th C): at least 6 feet long, deadlier than earlier shortbows
• Greek fire (7th C): secret mixture of ingredients that could be sprayed from ship to ship & ignited, or lit and launched in clay pot by catapult—recipe a state secret of Byzantine Empire, and eventually lost
• horse collar (9th C): device to distribute load a horse needs to pull around its neck and shoulders without choking—improvement over previous yoke
• horseshoes (9th C): allowed horses to walk on rocky or mountainous terrain, not just their native grassland
• heavy plow (5th C): sturdy wheeled plow designed to work in wet soil of N Europe
• wine press (12th C): more efficient means of pressing grapes than stomping
• hops (11th C): added to beer for preservative qualities & for flavor
• fireplaces & chimneys (12th C): allowed smoke to exit home
• artesian well (12th C): thin rod hammered into bore hole until it reaches water table, where pressurized water forced up hole, so no pump required
• various types of cranes (13-14th C): devices for lifting heavy objects using principles of leverage
• wheelbarrow (12th C): device for carrying heavy objects, using principles of leverage
• mechanical clocks (13th/14th C): mostly in town squares & church towers
• water-powered mills (13th C): used power of river to grind grain, make paper, etc.
• paper (13th C): reached Europe from China
• spinning wheel (13th C): reached Europe from India, allowed faster weaving of threads
• stern-mounted rudders (12th C): made navigation easier, paving way for Age of Exploration (instead of steering oars on sides)
• compass (12th C): magnetic compass for navigation, perhaps borrowed from China
• distilled liquor (12th C): borrowed from Muslim pharmacists
• mirrors (12th C): polished steel covered by transparent glass
• soap (9th C): hard soap perfected by Arabs in 12th C