The internal organization of empire contributed to the choice of ocean shipping technology, Portugal’s decline & ascendancy of the Dutch in the 17th century, according to Claudia Rei in an exciting new paper in Social Science History. Open access! https://doi.org/10.1017/ssh.2024.7
First English settlers in North America ate dogs to survive
“Archaeologists excavated about 181 canine bones in Jamestown – representing at least 16 dogs that lived between 1607 and 1617 AD.
The dog remains showed evidence of bone modifications “consistent with human skinning, skeletal disarticulation, and meat removal” – meaning they were consumed by the colonists.”
Thomas Willis (1621-1675) : Neurologist, Chemist, Physician
“Willis is not only credited to be the founder of neurology, but he is also seen as the father of comparative neuroanatomy, as his work, in particular Cerebri anatome and De anima brutorum, compare the human brain with that of other species in ‘search for specific human abilities in cognitive functions’ (Molnár, p. 334).”
A shift from agricultural employment to manufacturing accelerated a century before the steam engine & the boom in coal usage: intriguing findings from 20 years of archival research in England & Wales.
New technologies? (eg in printing?) The ideas thus spreading? Hard-working immigrants? Any ideas here for an energy-efficient but prosperous future?
@Judeet88 I see Wikipedia's list of 17th century inventions includes the barometer, corkscrew, piano, reflecting telescope, and slide rule - niche, but certainly requiring well-kitted workshops. The site also has a list of "17th century English people by occupation", including 7 notable inventors, 9 scientists, 10 engineers, 260 medical doctors & 182 "businesspeople"...
Dark Brilliance: The Age of Reason From Descartes to Peter the Great by Paul Strathern
During the 1600s, between the end of the Renaissance and the start of the Enlightenment, Europe lived through an era known as the Age of Reason. This was a revolutionary period which saw great advances in areas such as art, science, philosophy, political theory and economics.
"At the height of the Thirty Years War, news from South America, West Africa and the Caribbean was widespread and quickly distributed in the central European peripheries of the early modern Atlantic world. Despite the German retreat from sixteenth-century colonial experiments, overseas reports sometimes appeared in remote southern German towns before they were printed in Spain or the Low Countries."