ions , ▁innov ations ▁in ▁the ▁ways ▁of ▁man aging ▁traditional ▁means ▁of ▁production , ▁and ▁economic ▁growth . ▁In ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁century ▁there ▁were ▁more ▁invent ions ▁developed ▁and ▁applied ▁use fully ▁than ▁in ▁the ▁previous ▁thousand ▁years ▁of ▁human ▁history ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁glo be . ▁The ▁period ▁saw ▁major ▁techn ological ▁adv ances , ▁including ▁the ▁ad option ▁or ▁in vention ▁of ▁wind m ills , ▁wat erm ills , ▁printing ▁( though ▁not ▁yet ▁with ▁mov able ▁type ), ▁gun pow der , ▁the ▁ast rol abe , ▁glass es , ▁sc iss ors ▁of ▁the ▁modern ▁shape , ▁a ▁better ▁clock , ▁and ▁greatly ▁improved ▁ships . ▁The ▁latter ▁two ▁adv ances ▁made ▁possible ▁the ▁dawn ▁of ▁the ▁Age ▁of ▁Disc overy . ▁These ▁invent ions ▁were ▁influenced ▁by ▁foreign ▁culture ▁and ▁society . ▁ ▁Alfred ▁W . ▁C ros by ▁described ▁some ▁of ▁this ▁techn ological ▁revolution ▁in ▁The ▁Me asure ▁of ▁Re ality : ▁Quant ification ▁in ▁Western ▁Europe , ▁ 1 2 5 0 - 1 6 0 0 ▁and ▁other ▁major ▁histor ians ▁of ▁technology ▁have ▁also ▁noted ▁it . ▁▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁written ▁record ▁of ▁a ▁wind mill ▁is ▁from ▁York shire , ▁England , ▁dated ▁ 1 1 8 5 . ▁ ▁P aper ▁manufact ure ▁began ▁in ▁Italy ▁around ▁ 1 2 7 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁spin ning ▁wheel ▁was ▁brought ▁to ▁Europe ▁( pro bably ▁from ▁India ) ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The