Tech Lessons From The 'Dark Ages'

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The “Dark Ages” in what is now Western Europe sometimes conjure images of a very low-tech society — replete with outright barbarism and boiling vats of gruel. But the early Middle Ages (or “Dark Ages”) — a longtime historical pejorative — were actually a time of great technological progress, medieval scholars now say. A scarcity of written records has given rise to the misconception that the early Middle Ages — roughly correlating with the end of the Roman Empire Empire in the West (around 476 A.D.)  to about 1000 A.D. — were unrelentingly primitive, says Benjamin Hudson, a professor of history and medieval studies at Penn State University. Yet in many ways medievalists were centuries ahead of their time; intrinsically-linked to their landscape and intent on looking for alternative means to harness the power of nature. Part of the Dark Ages’ image problems, says Hudson, is tied to the nature of scientific development, which in the case of technology was incremental....

 

...full article at Forbes