Water Technology in the Middle Ages

In this study Roberta Magnusson investigates the interrelationship between the people of medieval Europe and one important technological cluster: complex, gravity-flow water systems. Such systems, composed of collection basins, long-distance conduits, and distribution points, were built for medieval palaces, castles, manors, hospitals, and gardens, but Magnusson focuses on urban and monastic systems. She also concentrates on Italy and England, where written sources, in particular extensive administrative records, start fairly early. This gives her the opportunity to provide a great longitudinal study of the evolution of technological systems in premodern Europe, integrating written data with archaeological evidence. Although I respect the restricted geographical choice, since it is better to do two case studies well than several badly, it is a pity that the enormous wealth of German scholarship on this topic was not used systematically

Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Distribution (mathematics) · Economic geography · Economics · Economy · Empire · Geography · German · Literature · Middle Ages · Pity · Political science · Regional science · Roman Empire · Scholarship · Historical and Archaeological Studies · Historical and Religious Studies of Rome · History · Law · Medieval European History and Architecture