This volume brings together works on the development of scientific and technical knowledge in Europe between the 13th and 16th centuries, with a special focus on the Iberian Peninsula. These works, which rely heavily on the evidence provided by the written record, pay particular attention to the content of recipe books and technical treatises from the 15th and 16th centuries. The volume addresses issues such as manuscript and technical recipe book analysis, archaeological investigation of production areas and archaeometric analysis, presenting a holistic and comprehensive perspective of technical knowledge during the Middle Ages. It highlights different approaches and perspectives in the analysis of medieval technical and technological knowledge, in order to arrive at equally broad and complementary conclusions.

This volume brings together works on the development of scientific and technical knowledge in Europe between the 13th and 16th centuries, with a special focus on the Iberian Peninsula. These works, which rely heavily on the evidence provided by the written record, pay particular attention to the content of recipe books and technical treatises from the 15th and 16th centuries. The volume addresses issues such as manuscript and technical recipe book analysis, archaeological investigation of production areas and archaeometric analysis, presenting a holistic and comprehensive perspective of technical knowledge during the Middle Ages. It highlights different approaches and perspectives in the analysis of medieval technical and technological knowledge, in order to arrive at equally broad and complementary conclusions.

These articles are devoted to the two main aspects of medieval warfare: men and technology. Men fought, led, and ultimately killed in war, while the technology that they used facilitated these tasks. The first group of essays highlights human strengths in the fighting of medieval wars, with a focus on events of the 14th and 15th centuries, specifically the Anglo-French wars and wars against the Turks. A second group addresses the technological side of warfare, in particular the advent and proliferation of early gunpowder weapons which evolved rapidly during the late Middle Ages, although never replacing the role of men. The articles study various facets of this evolution, from the increased use and effectiveness of guns in battles, sieges, and naval warfare, to changes in their science and metallurgy, surgical treatment of wounds caused by them, and governmental centralization of the technology.

Agrarian Change and Crisis in Europe, 1200-1500 addresses one of the classic subjects on economic history: the process of aggregate economic growth and the crisis that engulfed the European continent during the late Middle Ages. This was not an ordinary crisis. During the period 1200-1500, Europe witnessed endemic episodes of famine and a wave of plague epidemics that amounted to one of its worst health crises, rivaled only by the Justinian plague in the sixth century. These challenges called into question the production of goods and services and the distribution of wealth, opening the possibility of fundamental systemic change. This book offers an empirical synthesis on a host of economic, demographic, and technological developments which characterized the period 1200-1500. It covers virtually the entire continent and places equal emphasis both on providing a solid factual framework and comparing and contrasting various theoretical interpretations. The broad geographical and conceptual scope of the book renders it indispensable not only for undergraduate students who take courses relating to the economic and social life of the Middle Ages but also to more advanced scholars who often specialize in only one country or region.

Technology, Skills and the Pre-Modern Economy investigates how technological skills and knowledge were reproduced and disseminated in the advanced agrarian societies of China, India, Russia and Europe in the centuries before the Industrial Revolution. The book offers regional surveys of Europe, China and India, as well as comparative studies of building, porcelain manufacturing, instrument making, printing, and shipbuilding. The authors engage with the on-going debate about the ‘great divergence’ between Asia and Europe, and its possible causes. Technology has so far had a minor role in that debate. This book is bound to change that, through the bold claims made by various contributors. Contributors are: Karel Davids, S.R. Epstein †, Gijs Kessler, Jan Lucassen, Christine Moll-Murata, Patrick O'Brien, Kenneth Pomeranz, Maarten Prak, Tirthankar Roy, Richard Unger, and Jan Luiten van Zanden.

Mobile artisans, male and female, were responsible for many innovations and new consumer products. This book asks why, and shows the importance of collective traditions of migration, of the experience of mobility, and of the encounter with new places.

Women in Medieval Europe explores the key areas of female experience in the later medieval period, from peasant women to Queens. It considers the women of the later Middle Ages in the context of their social relationships during a time of changing opportunities and activities, so that by 1500 the world of work was becoming increasingly restricted to women. The chapters are arranged thematically to show the varied roles and lives of women in and out of the home, covering topics such as marriage, religion, family and work. For the second edition a new chapter draws together recent work on Jewish and Muslim women, as well as those from other ethnic groups, showing the wide ranging experiences of women from different backgrounds. Particular attention is paid to women at work in the towns, and specifically urban topics such as trade, crafts, healthcare and prostitution. The latest research on women, gender and masculinity has also been incorporated, along with updated further reading recommendations. This fully revised new edition is a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to the topic, perfect for all those studying women in Europe in the later Middle Ages.