The Book Of Optics: The Islamic Golden Age

Did you know that something as simple as an artifact could tell us so much about the past? It can tell us who created or used it, and why. An artifact can also explain to us major events from the past. I have decided to chose the four artifacts that impressed me the most. I chose arches, and the “Book of Optics”, from the Muslim Empire. And for Medieval Europe, I chose knights armor and “Domesday Book.” I feel like these four artifacts stood out as huge inventions and innovations that helped us get to where we are today.

Many believe that arches originated in the Islamic Golden Age. The first form of an arch was found in 691 AD, located in the Dome Of The Rock. According to many historians, the Muslims mastered the design and

He was born during the Islamic Golden Age and he contributed to it greatly. One of his great studies was recorded in his book, known as “The Book Of Optics.” The Book Of Optics was a seven-volume book on optics. The Book Of Optics argued against the widely accepted theories at the time. These widely accepted theories were created by Euclid and Ptolemy. They’re theories claimed that rays came out of the eyes, while others thought something entered the eyes to represent an object. But it was Ibn Haytham who rejected these theories and introduced his discovery. After years of studies, he discovered that vision would only take place when a light ray issued from a luminous source or was reflected from such a source before it entered the eye. Ibn Haytham proved his theory correct with a device named, “camera obscura.” The device consisted of a dark room with a small pinhole in the wall. The device would create a phenomenon where a scene from outside the dark room would be projected through the pinhole and on the wall of the dark room. The experiment proved that objects were reflected or entered into the eye, this was known because the projected image would always be reversed and flipped as it entered the pinhole. This experiment also revealed that light travels in straight lines. The Book Of Optics has left a huge legacy behind, influencing many optical studies in the

Domesday Book was written by order of King William I. The book contains results from a huge survey of land and landholding. The reason many people are intrigued by this book was its complete and compiled record of a pre-industrial society. It also provides a look into the medieval world. The recorded survey was extremely detailed and precise. There was not a report as detailed as Doomsday until the early 19th century when England conducted a census. It was named Domesday because the information collected by the survey seemed irreversible. Which caused people to compare it to the last day, or the judgment day. However, people didn’t call it Domesday until the 12th century. Domesday book was a huge advancement in the way of collecting information. Surveys weren't a thing in Medieval times, that's what made Domesday so special. Domesday provides the first official recording and description of the human and natural resources in England. According to Essentially England, “The book lists where people lived, who owed allegiance to whom, how much income was generated by trade or craft or farming.” After surviving through all these years, Domesday book is preserved in the National Archives in Kew, UK. The book has left a lasting legacy on detailed recordings and surveys. Surveys are used everywhere nowadays, to let people voice their opinions and provide their basic