Читать книгу The History of Mining - Michael Coulson - Страница 55

After an unpromising start in terms of human progress in the arts, science and economic activity – war and conflict was almost permanent and events such as the Black Death and the Great Plague provided major setbacks – the Middle Ages slowly began to witness a more promising environment. The Renaissance saw a flowering in education with exciting developments in art and the first signs of a broad revival in scientific activity for many centuries.

As the Industrial Revolution loomed the political and intellectual underpinning necessary for any great leap forward in human activity was in place. Such an advance also required human resources, capital and also raw materials backed by technology to be available, as they were. The mining industry was also ready and able to build upon the advances it had made in the 17th and 18th centuries, so all the blocks were in place for the greatest advance in human history.