How medieval and Renaissance technology shaped Mediterranean and European society across a millennium. In Technology in Mediterranean and European Lands, 600-1600, Pamela O. Long explores the intricate web of technological advancements that shaped Mediterranean and European societies during the medieval and early modern periods. From the essential crafts of ploughing and tailoring to the sophisticated hydraulic systems and monumental building constructions, Long illuminates how ordinary people harnessed and transformed their world. Drawing on recent scholarship on environmental history and the history of technology—as well as materials, object biographies, and the circulation of objects—Long examines the circulation of ideas and technologies in Europe and the Mediterranean. The book covers the evolution of food production, transportation, and communication, as well as the crafting of pottery, weapons, and machines. This in-depth historical analysis shows how these technological advancements had profound social and economic impacts on everyday life. Long's meticulous research and engaging narrative bring to light the interconnectedness of various crafts and their contributions to the broader tapestry of human history. By integrating archaeological findings, historical texts, and modern scientific methods, the book offers an interdisciplinary perspective on the technological practices of the pre-modern world. Perfect for scholars, students, and history enthusiasts, Technology in Mediterranean and European Lands, 600-1600 emphasizes the ingenuity and resilience of past civilizations and the enduring legacy of technological innovation. What doesn't Pamela Long know about how things were made and done in the past? Like her other volumes on technology, society, and culture, this one is a treasure trove of information on the way things work, how controversies about technological change have played out, and who has written what on the history of technologies, large and small. We can only be deeply grateful for her meticulous scholarship. ―Pamela H. Smith, author of The Body of the Artisan: Art and Experience in the Scientific Revolution In this masterful history, Pamela Long offers a succinct, informative, and readable account of a millennium of technical knowledge and expertise. She emphasizes the role of ordinary people solving problems with human inventiveness and takes full advantage of the historical, archeological, and material traces of these early technologies. ―Paula Findlen, Stanford University How medieval and Renaissance technology shaped Mediterranean and European society across a millennium. Pamela O. Long is an independent historian and the author of many books, including Engineering the Eternal City: Infrastructure, Topography, and the Culture of Knowledge in Late Sixteenth-Century Rome and Openness, Secrecy, Authorship: Technical Arts and the Culture of Knowledge from Antiquity to the Renaissan ce. She was a Rome Prize Fellow at the American Academy in Rome, is a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ, and was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2014.