Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine: An Encyclopedia

Thomas F. Glick, Steven J. Livesey, and Faith Wallis, Editors

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The popular image of medieval science remains one of a "dark age," when scholasticism and the Catholic Church stifled the achievements of classical thought until the great cultural flowering of the Renaissance. Research in the last few decades has revealed a far different picture. As Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine demonstrates, the millennium from the fall of the Roman Empire to the flowering of the Renaissance was a period of great intellectual and practical achievement and innovation. In Europe, the Islamic world, South and East Asia, and the Americas, individuals built on earlier achievements and introduced sometimes radical refinements. Some of the individuals are still known today; many more are lost to history. Their achievements remain, however, and far from marking a reversal in human knowledge, laid the foundations for its modern development. They applied not only in well-known fields such as construction and transportation, but also in anesthetics, mechanics, optics, and math.

Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine details the whole scope of scientific knowledge in the medieval period in more than 300 A to Z entries. This resource discusses the research, application of knowledge, cultural and technology exchanges, experimentation, and achievements in the many disciplines related to science and technology. Coverage includes inventions, discoveries, concepts, places and fields of study, regions, and significant contributors to various fields of science. There are also entries on South-Central and East Asian science. This reference work provides an examination of medieval scientific tradition as well as an appreciation for the relationship between medieval science and the traditions it supplanted and those that replaced it.

Written by a select group of international scholars, Medieval Science, Technology, and Medicine explores the fascinating scientific achievements of the Middle Ages. This reference work will be of great use to scholars, students, and general readers researching topics in many fields of study, including medieval studies, world history, history of science, history of technology, history of medicine, and cultural studies.

Clear and accessible writing in an easy to navigate A to Z format
Extensive cross-references guiding the reader to pertinent topics
Useful bibliographies referring readers to sources for further research
A comprehensive and analytical index
Thematic and alphabetic list of entries

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