Otis Singleton
The 12th century was a period of technological advancements, including the adoption of gunpowder, the invention of vertical windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, and improved water mills. While static electricity was known to exist in the ancient world and in the 12th century, it was not until the 1600s that the first theories about electricity were published by English physician and physicist William Gilbert. The exploration of electricity continued in the early 1700s with English scientist Francis Hauksbee's experiments with electrical attraction and repulsion. However, electricity only became a common aspect of everyday life in the 20th century.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Static electricity | Known in the 12th century |
| Electricity generation | Not known in the 12th century |
| Major sources of energy | Wind, water |
| Technology | Water mills, windmills |
| Scientific understanding | Lack of knowledge about electricity |
| Historical context | Medieval Europe |
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What You'll Learn
Static electricity was known but not understood
While electricity has only been a part of everyday life for just over a century, it was discovered much earlier. The first documentation of electricity in history dates back to 500 B.C. when Thales of Miletus discovered static electricity by rubbing fur on amber.
Static electricity was known in the 12th century, though it was not well understood. The Greeks had noted static charge, and the word electricity comes from the Greek "elekrum" for amber. However, they did not know how to create large amounts of electricity to sustain a current, as they did not have a battery.
The exploration of electricity continued in the centuries that followed. In the early 1700s, English scientist Francis Hauksbee created a glass ball that glowed when rubbed, demonstrating electrical attraction and repulsion. This discovery would eventually lead to neon lighting. In 1752, Benjamin Franklin demonstrated that lightning was electrical through his famous kite experiment.
The 12th century was a period of technological advancements, including the adoption of gunpowder, the invention of vertical windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, and improved water mills and building techniques. However, these advancements were often built upon long-established techniques or adapted from cross-cultural exchanges. For example, windmills were not a new technology in the 12th century, but they played a role in disrupting the energy landscape, challenging the monopoly of water mills.
While static electricity was known in the 12th century, it was not until much later that significant breakthroughs were made in understanding and harnessing its power.
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There were no batteries
While static electricity was known to exist in the 12th century, there were no batteries. The Greeks had noted static charge, and the phenomenon was understood to some extent, but the science behind electricity was not fully comprehended.
The first documentation of electricity dates back to 500 B.C. when Thales of Miletus discovered static electricity by rubbing fur on amber. However, it was not until the 1600s that English physician and physicist William Gilbert published the first theories about electricity in his book, "De Magnete". This was followed in 1675 by English chemist and physicist Robert William Boyle, who published the next major text about electricity, "Experiments and Notes about the Mechanical Origin or Production of Electricity".
In the 12th century, people were aware of static electricity, but they lacked the knowledge to generate large amounts of electricity to sustain a current. The discovery of the electrical battery by Galvani and Volta was a chance occurrence, and their experiments could have been performed in the 12th century. However, the focus of society at the time was on war and food, leaving little room for curiosity-driven pursuits.
The 12th century did see a range of technological advancements, particularly in medieval Europe. These advancements were often adaptations or refinements of existing technologies, influenced by cross-cultural exchanges with the Islamic world, China, and India. Notable innovations included the adoption of gunpowder, the invention of vertical windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, and improved water mills.
While electricity was understood to some extent in the 12th century, the lack of batteries meant that there was no way to generate and sustain electrical currents. It would be several centuries before electricity became an everyday aspect of human life.
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Technological refinement and application
While electricity was not a part of everyday life in the 12th century, static electricity was known and observed. The ancient Greeks noted static charge, and the word "electricity" comes from the Greek "elekrum" or amber, which, when rubbed, produces a charge. However, the understanding of electricity was limited, and the knowledge required to generate large amounts of electricity or sustain a current was not yet available.
The 12th century was a period of technological refinement and innovation, with many advancements occurring in Europe. These advancements were often built upon long-established techniques originating from Roman and Byzantine influences or adapted from cross-cultural exchanges with the Islamic world, India, and China. For example, the Islamic world transmitted some of the technologies of East and South Asia, particularly India and China, to the West. This included expertise in ironworking and textile techniques. Additionally, the windmill and gunpowder, key inventions of the period, are believed to have been developed spontaneously.
The 12th century saw the adoption of gunpowder, the invention of vertical windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, and improved water mills, building techniques, and agricultural practices. The development of water mills was particularly impressive, extending beyond agriculture to sawmills for timber and stone. The typical harbour crane, a new development of the Middle Ages, was a pivoting structure with double treadwheels. There were two types: wooden gantry cranes and stone tower cranes.
Medieval Europe also witnessed a shift in armour technology, with the introduction of reinforced chain mail in the 12th and 13th centuries. This armour provided better protection against slashing and thrusting weapons. It was made up of chain mail reinforced with metal or hardened leather plates sewn in. Another type of armour, lamellar armour, was composed of small, overlapping plates sewn together or attached to a backing such as linen or quilted armour.
The manufacture of silk also became prominent in Western Europe in the 11th or 12th century, although the technology of "silk throwing" was not mastered in Tuscany until the 13th century. These silk works, powered by water, are considered the first mechanized textile mills.
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Lightning strikes as an existential threat
While electricity is now a vital part of modern life, it has only been a common feature of daily life for a little over a century. The first documentation of electricity dates back to 500 B.C. when Thales of Miletus discovered static electricity by rubbing fur on amber. However, it was not until the 12th century that windmills and water mills began to be used as power sources in Europe, marking a significant shift in energy production and technology.
During the 12th century, the Renaissance period, medieval Europe experienced rapid technological advancements and innovations in managing traditional means of production. This included the adoption of gunpowder, the invention of vertical windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, and improved water mills, building techniques, and agricultural practices. These advancements built upon long-established techniques originating from Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic civilizations, as well as cross-cultural exchanges with China and India.
While static electricity was known to exist in the 12th century, it was not well understood. The Greeks had observed static charge, and the English scientist Francis Hauksbee made a glass ball that glowed when rubbed in the early 1700s, demonstrating electrical attraction and repulsion. However, the mathematical framework to unify magnetism and electricity and properly quantify electrical phenomena was still lacking.
In the context of the 12th century, lightning strikes were considered an existential threat, especially to religious institutions. For example, according to one account, the son of Harald Bluetooth may have been electrocuted while ringing a church bell during a lightning storm. This incident was interpreted as a sign of Thor's displeasure, setting back the Christianization of German areas. The Catholic Church viewed lightning strikes on churches as a significant threat and devoted significant resources to studying lightning.
In conclusion, while electricity and its potential applications were not fully understood in the 12th century, lightning strikes and the development of alternative power sources such as wind and water mills highlight the importance of energy and its impact on society during this period. The existential threat posed by lightning strikes to the Catholic Church demonstrates how deeply energy and technology were intertwined with cultural and religious beliefs, influencing the course of history.
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Wind and water as power sources
While static electricity was known in the 12th century, the methods to generate large amounts of electricity were not understood. However, wind and water were recognised power sources during this time.
Wind power has been harnessed by humans since they first put sails to the wind. The earliest use of windmills was in the 9th century in what is now Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. These wind-powered machines were used to grind grain and pump water. By the 11th century, people in the Middle East were using wind pumps and windmills extensively for food production. The use of windmills then spread to China, India, and the Crusader states. The earliest certain reference to a windmill in Europe dates from 1185 in Weedley, Yorkshire, although there are some less certainly dated twelfth-century European sources referring to windmills. These vertical windmills were used to grind flour and were an important resource for the new middle class, as water power rights were often confined to the nobility and clergy. By the 14th century, there were around 200,000 wind-powered mills in Europe, although this was modest compared to the 500,000 waterwheels in use.
Water power was also widely used in the 12th century. Most large villages had turnable mills, with around 6,500 in England alone by the time of the Domesday Book. Water power was used in agriculture, sawmills, mining for raising ore from shafts, crushing ore, and even powering bellows. The silk industry, which began in Western Europe in the 11th or 12th century, also used waterpower, and these silk works are regarded as the first mechanized textile mills.
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Frequently asked questions
Static electricity was known about in the 12th century, but it was not understood. The Greeks had noted static charge, and the English scientist Francis Hauksbee created a glowing glass ball in the early 1700s, but the first theories about electricity were not published until the 1600s.
The 12th century saw a number of technological advances, including the adoption of gunpowder, the invention of vertical windmills, spectacles, mechanical clocks, and improved water mills, building techniques, and agricultural techniques.
The main sources of energy in the 12th century were wind and water. Windmills were used for grinding grain, but water was a more reliable source of energy, especially with a millpond to assure a steady supply.
