Assignment

Part of this discussion will involve directly analyzing a primary source from the medieval period (ca. 500 AD to 1400 AD). Review the material below regarding the nature and definition of primary sources, and then use the Internet to find a primary source from the medieval period for review (translated sources are fine; the source does not need to be directly related to technology).

What is a primary source? It may be defined as anything created by someone involved in an event, about the event. For example, it could be a diary or a picture; a newspaper or a memoir. The following URLs will take you to places on the web that discuss primary sources:

• "Identifying Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sources." William Madison Randall Library.
• "Using Primary Sources on the Web." American Library Association's Reference and User Services Association.

Note that, with the current technology, primary sources can be digitized and presented on the web for viewing and analysis. And while there is no substitute to holding the actual source and studying it, we cannot always make the trips required to view and study them. So having digital copies becomes a helpful means of viewing primary sources.

Drawing from the material in this course content along with a close reading of your chosen primary source, consider the following questions:

How did people of the medieval period understand the world around them, and how did their understandings of the world change over time? What technological advancements did they produce and how important was technology to medieval society?

Your post should be at least 250 words in length. It should engage explicitly with both the assigned course readings and a primary source from the period of your own choosing.