Top 10 Inventions of the Middle Ages -That's Right: Middle Ages

"Top 10 Inventions of the Middle Ages" actually slops over into the early Renaissance, but this is still a good reality check.

I still run into comments about the "Dark Ages" that followed the fall of the Roman Empire.

Although those centuries in Europe wouldn't be one of my favorite eras to be in, it was hardly the dreary expanse of ignorance and superstition (and no espresso machines!) that we hear and read about.

On the contrary, faced with the challenge of getting things done without the support provided by the Roman Empire, Europeans developed efficient technologies like heavy plows, the hourglass, and the blast furnace.