How Did Technology Advance Before the 1800-s

Even among societies with very low standards of living, modern technologies are still able to quickly have an impact. The rapid spread of inventions is usually attributed to the global economy, with extensive lines of communications and trade.
Before the 1800′s this network practically didn’t exist. Most types of technology could move from one area to another at a slow pace. The key component to advancing any technology, in any historical period, is to involve more people in studying it and improving on it.
The slow movement of trade before the last two centuries limited the number of individuals who could contribute their knowledge to advancing any particular piece of technology. Because of limited trade, some populations were left out the network almost completely.
The greatest advances in various technologies took place in regions that had the highest levels of trade, such as the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia. In addition to trade routes, an understanding of pre-existing, related technologies was important to advancing any technology.
In order for a culture to adapt a device like the gun, they needed knowledge of metallurgy as a starting point. It was the lack of this sort of information that kept Native American and African cultures from producing their own versions of the weapon.
One other component needed to attract the attention of potential innovators was the usefulness of a certain invention. If a particular device did not seem to serve a beneficial purpose, it would be ignored. The basic idea of printing was known in Medieval Europe, but, with little literacy, there was no great interest in it.
Changes in the legal system increased the demand for literate individuals later on. It was the convergence of these three factors that led to technological progress in pre-modern times.