On what areas were the Middle Ages more advanced compared to the Roman era?

by The_Godlike_Zeus
macoafi

This is really broad question, but I can give two examples of early industrialization and other examples of technological change.

Fulling wool in the Roman era would've been a completely manual...er...well, except more feet than hands...process.

Fulling mills came about in the Middle Ages, though. The Witheridge Historical Archives give 1185 as a date by which they were definitely in use. These could be watermill powered, and they'd stomp the wet wool fabric repeatedly to make the wool full (instead of you stomping with your feet). Here's a fulling mill in use

The blast furnace was also invented by the 13th century (the oldest remaining are from the 13th century, but there weren't necessarily the first ever built) and refined over time. Here's a video of how they worked. (same video as above, different timestamp)

Not so industrial (because it's still unpowered) but a change in technology nevertheless: looms that allowed you to sit while weaving. At least into the Viking age, warp-weighted looms were used to make fabric. In 15th century illuminations (such as MS Fr. 598, f. 70v, Bibliotheque Nationale), floor looms are clearly seen. I haven't researched exactly when in between the floor loom first appeared, and the book I suspect would answer it is at home. The point is, instead of weaving by shoving thread around over your head and swinging a wooden sword up in the shed to beat the weft into place, you could sit with the work just above your lap and allow your feet to handle the work of changing sheds. Quite a bit more ergonomic!

Oh! And of course, the spinning wheel. The earliest record for a spinning wheel in Europe is the 13th century. Prior to that, all spinning was done "on the rock," which is to say from a distaff onto a spindle.