philosophical , scientific teaching of middle ages based upon few copies , commentaries of ancient greek texts remained in western europe after collapse of western roman empire. of them studied in latin knowledge of greek limited.
this scenario changed during renaissance of 12th century. intellectual revitalization of europe started birth of medieval universities. increased contact islamic world in spain , sicily during reconquista, , byzantine world , muslim levant during crusades, allowed europeans access scientific arabic , greek texts, including works of aristotle, alhazen, , averroes. european universities aided materially in translation , propagation of these texts , started new infrastructure needed scientific communities.
at beginning of 13th century there reasonably accurate latin translations of main works of intellectually crucial ancient authors, allowing sound transfer of scientific ideas via both universities , monasteries. then, natural science contained in these texts began extended notable scholastics such robert grosseteste, roger bacon, albertus magnus , duns scotus. precursors of modern scientific method can seen in grosseteste s emphasis on mathematics way understand nature, , in empirical approach admired bacon, particularly in opus majus.
technology
during 12th , 13th century in europe there radical change in rate of new inventions, innovations in ways of managing traditional means of production, , economic growth. in less century there more inventions developed , applied usefully in previous thousand years of human history on globe. period saw major technological advances, including adoption or invention of windmills, watermills, printing (though not yet movable type), gunpowder, astrolabe, glasses, scissors of modern shape, better clock, , improved ships. latter 2 advances made possible dawn of age of discovery. these inventions influenced foreign culture , society.
alfred w. crosby described of technological revolution in measure of reality: quantification in western europe, 1250-1600 , other major historians of technology have noted it.
ships of world in 1460, according fra mauro map.
the earliest written record of windmill yorkshire, england, dated 1185.
paper manufacture began in italy around 1270.
the spinning wheel brought europe (probably india) in 13th century.
the magnetic compass aided navigation, first reaching europe time in late 12th century.
eye glasses invented in italy in late 1280s.
the astrolabe returned europe via islamic spain.
fibonacci introduces arabic numerals europe book liber abaci in 1202.
the west s oldest known depiction of stern-mounted rudder can found on church carvings dating around 1180.
^ franklin, j., renaissance myth , quadrant 26 (11) (nov, 1982), 51-60. (retrieved on-line @ 06-07-2007)
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