Medieval (about 476AD-1600’s)
20 The Medieval World and STS
Sydney Fitch; Levi Williams; Joe Lady; Alexandria Alabau; Madison Bolick; CaitlinHall; and Leta Kate Lamb
Introduction
The Medieval Era is often overlooked when it comes to their accomplishments in the progression of science and technology. Although the period is associated with depictions of medieval knights rushing to battle and the infamous Bubonic Plague sweeping over Europe, the science and technology conceived from these matters were substantial milestones in the advancement of science and technology in society. During the Medieval Era, from the year 476 to 1600 AD, society saw an advancement in science and technology that greatly impacted the areas of health, agriculture, and economics. Technological advancements in medicine, for example, helped overall health, progressed mankind, and positively impacted society. By the end of this chapter you will learn how these advancements were also influenced by the political and religious circumstances evolving throughout this time period.
Technology and the church
The Medieval time period is often referred to as the “Dark Ages” partly because of the notion that it lacked scientific or technological advancement. This is largely due to the rise of the Christian Church that took control of almost all aspects of life including religious, government and scientific functions of the Roman Empire (McCall, 2018). Religion from a scientific standpoint was only to get closer to God and unveil His creations (McCall, 2018). The Catholic Church during the Middle Ages hindered scientific advancement because it feared that scientific reasoning would threaten its authority; however the introduction of new technologies was not seen as such of a threat and was integrated into people’s lives such as the invention of the chimney. Scientific reasoning for natural phenomenon could have called into question the Church’s place of power. This is why certain scientific practices were strictly controlled by the church, like that of human dissections for learning the anatomy of the body.
It was not until the year 313 that Christianity was legally recognized as a religion (Nelson, 2001). This was because of the efforts of Constantine who turned the religion into a structured institution of its own that unified the East and the West after the fall of the Roman Empire (Nelson, 2001b). To Constantine, keeping the authority of the church meant preserving its appearance and capabilities. The Church became more than just a religion, it became the center of community life (Park, 1994). For centuries, scientific learning was confined to monasteries and cathedral schools where monks and priests would learn and teach sciences such as medicine, architecture, astronomy, and arithmetic (Park, 1994). The sick were able to be healed in the name of God, new churches were able to be built, prayer times and religious holidays were establish-
ed, and the financial accounts of the Church w