Middle Ages Research

Middle Ages Research What was life like in the Middle Ages? How does it compare to today? #1 Trebuchets as an example of Change - Trebuchet vs. Artillery today #2 Spice Trade as an example of Continuity - Medieval Spice Trade + Modern Trade Routes #3 Clothing as an example of Change - Medieval Clothing vs. Clothing Today #4 Christianity as an example of Continuity - Medieval + Modern #5 Road Travel as an example of Change - Horses vs. Cars #1 - Trebuchet as an Example of Change HistoryNet - Trebuchet Article First built in June 1210. The first one was oversized balance beam with a weighted bucket at one end. The powerful siege weapons hurled way bigger stones than any human could handle. The word Trebuchet comes from the Middle French verb trébuche, meaning to tumble or to fall over which is what the trebuchet does when it is released. • The trebuchet was the first war engine that used the principals of gravity. • The trebuchet was easy to make compared to other siege engines because other engines required precision made parts like metallic gears, locks and frames whereas a trebuchet could be made in a field made almost entirely out of rough cut lumber. • The trebuchet was easy to make and also easy to maintain so it became very popular • • • • _______________________________________________________________________ • • • • Used for launching aircraft into the sky on aircraft carriers Used in STEM education, to demonstrate gravity, kinetic energy, and math They are also used for entertainment: “pumpkin chucking” They look the same as in the Middle Ages #2 - Spice Trade as an example of Continuity • Spices came from the East: mostly India, but other places too • They were luxuries for the Europeans and very expensive • Merchants sold pepper, ginger, cinnamon, clove, saffron, sugar, spikenard, and paradise (those are spices). • Muslims controlled the trade routes from Europe to the East • Spices were prized because they coloured food, flavoured food, and made it smell good • They were also used in perfumes and incense, and as medicine • Merchants made up stories to make the spices seem more valuable (ex. Cinnamon is harvested from the nest of a mythical bird) • It was dangerous for merchants to travel to get the spices: there were pirates and raiders, conflict, storms, and accidents • They also had to pay large tariffs (taxes), so they were sold for super high prices to make up for it (a month’s wages for a pound of saffron) • Europeans started to look for new routes to avoid the tariffs • Some explorers found them, while some found North America • Eventually, spices became less and less popular _______________________________________________________________________ • Today black pepper is the worlds most traded spice and still comes mostly from the east like South India and Vietnam, Vietnam being the largest exporter of black pepper today. • Still today almost all spices come from the east from various places like China, Vietnam, Malaysia and many more places. • Spices travel all across the world, with the evolution of shipping spices can travel from south India to North America. #3 - Clothing as an example of Change Most people wore clothing made of wool, from sheep Rich people wore silk Dyes were very common, so almost everyone wore colourful clothes Men wore stockings, pants and tunics Noblemen wore all of the above, plus jackets, furs and jewellery Women wore sleeveless tunics, long dresses, and hair coverings made of cloth Noblewomen wore extra long gowns and headdresses When it was cold outside, people wore cloaks, hats, and mittens People almost never washed their outer clothes, but the did wash their underclothes Everyone wore head coverings, like hoods (sometimes on cloaks, but sometimes alone, too), straw hats, bonnets, felt caps, veils, and sometimes fancy headdresses. • Most people who could afford them wore leather boots • • • • • • • • • • _______________________________________________________________________ • Today people care a lot more about how they look unlike the Middle Ages where they would wear lots of used clothing. • Jewelry is also a huge thing today and it costs a lot of money. • Today colourful clothing is very popular amongst young people. #4 - Christianity as an example of Continuity • Christianity emerged as a religion from Judaism and spread across Europe during the Middle Ages. • The rise of Christianity eventually reached the Roman Empire and Christianity replaced the Roman religion. • Christianity surrounded the concept of pilgrimage and the most popular destination was the holy land of Jerusalem. _______________________________________________________________________ Christianity follows one god They attend churches, usually one Sundays, but sometimes special services too They follow the Bible, and their religious leaders are priests The Pope is powerful, but not as powerful as in the Middle Ages. He does not rule any countries. • Christianity is not as extreme as in Medieval Times • Not everyone in the western world is Christian; there is more diversity • The Bible is studied and analyzed, instead of blindly followed • • • • #5 - Land Travel as an example of Change • People travelled by land on foot, on animals (horses, mules, donkeys), carts (for short distances) • Upper classes could ride in covered carriages with poles balances on horses • Long lines of horses (sometimes amp to 50) carried goods to be traded • Medieval horses were smaller, and a different breed from modern horses • Lots of people from different classes and backgrounds travelled • Mainly, merchants, preachers, scholars, soldiers (knights), and the odd criminal travelled long distances by road • Travellers on foot could travel around 30 miles a day: eight to ten hours of walking! • Roads were made of stone and dirt, and were often uneven and in need of repair • Smaller paths were sometimes just trampled earth _______________________________________________________________________ • People still walk to a lot of their destinations but a lot use cars or public transportation like buses and sky trains. • Some people today use horses like the Middle Ages for getting around. • A lot of people today use bikes for getting around too, this could be tied into travelling with carriages in the Middle Ages. • People today don't walk nearly as far as people in the Middle Ages, instead we can just opt for a more efficient less tiring method.