So many of the things we take for granted had their origins not only in the Middle Ages but from the early Middle Ages.
One of the most important developments was the development of protections against cold and inclement weather. Joel Mokyr reports that, “European society learned gradually to protect itself better from cold temperatures, especially when winters grew harsher after the thirteenth century. Changes in construction techniques, such as the use of shingles, the use of plaster for better insulation, the use of fossil fuels, and above all the development of chimneys.”
He further states that “cakes of soap first appeared in the twelfth century. Inventions that affected daily life, such as butter, strong distilled liquors, skis, wheelbarrows, the use of hops in brewing, improved window glass, and crank-driven grindstones originated in western Europe in the early Middle Ages.”
(The Lever of Riches: Technological Creativity and Economic Progress, Oxford University Press, New York, 1992, p. 39)