Storiascopio · Era 8 of 12 · lower secondary year 1
Watermills and windmills
about 1100 · Europe (England, France, Italy)
In short
Watermills were already known to the Romans, but in the Middle Ages a great many were built along rivers and canals. In England a great survey of 1086, the Domesday Book, counted more than five thousand of them. Towards the end of the 12th century windmills appeared too, useful where there were no streams or rivers. They were used to grind grain, but also to pound cloth, saw wood and work iron.
Why it matters Using the power of water and wind instead of human muscle was a first step towards modern machines.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Mill”
Where we are in the era “Late Middle Ages”
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about 1050Event 8 of 251429
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/watermills-and-windmills/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class