Histories of computing tend to either begin with ancient efforts — like the abacus, Archimedes’ mechanical theorems, and Aristotle’s logic — or they skip ahead to the early modern period, recounting stories of Gottfried Leibniz’s calculating machine, Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine, or Ada Lovelace’s recursive algorithm. That is, if they haven’t jumped straight ahead to the work of the Claude Shannons, Konrad Zuses, and Alan Turings of the 20th century.
Rather neglected in this story are the parts in between: the weird and wonderful contributions of the Middle Ages. As I’ve written elsewhere, the Dark Ages weren’t all that dark, and this period of intellectual history is rather hard done by. To remedy this shortcoming, here are four computation systems from the Middle Ages you have (probably) never heard of.
For two years now I’ve been travelling Europe. For two years I’ve noticed a creeping trend. I saw it in Vienna, I saw it in Rome. From Bulgaria to Scotland, from Marseille to Bucovina, a movement has been building. I suspect the shift is global, so perhaps you’ve noticed it too. It began many years ago, but has been gathering ever-increasing pace. We approach a fever pitch.
The ancients believed the movements of celestial objects profoundly influenced events here on Earth. Thus, it was vital that they map the cosmos, tracking the Moon, planets, and star constellations as they arced across the heavens. In doing so, they developed complex mathematics, philosophies, and birthed the science of astronomy.
