without castings IN A WORLD


Would Feudalism Have Dominated Europe?


Exactly where and when stirrups were invented


remains in doubt; initial references can be found in China and India in the last centuries B.C. But when it comes to introducing the technology to Europe, the Avars, a collection of nomadic tribes from the Central Asian steppe, receive credit after a number of invasions into Central and Eastern Europe around 600 A.D. Dozens of Avaric cast-iron stirrups (similar to the il- lustration shown here) have been excavated in Hungary and surrounding countries. In his 1962 book, “Medieval Technology and Social


Change,” UCLA professor Lynn White argued that the stirrup’s introduction to Europe led to feudalism by signifi cantly changing warfare, namely by replacing infantries with professional cavalrymen. However, in an academic debate commonly referred to as “T e Great Stirrup Controversy,” many academics disagree with White, questioning the benefi t of stirrups for mounted soldiers and their role in the rise of feudal Euro pe. 


Jul/Aug 2014 | METAL CASTING DESIGN & PURCHASING | 13


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