Builders of the Medieval world constructed many wondrous sights throughout their roughly 500-year span, the most awe-inspiring examples of their work is unquestionably, the great gothic cathedrals. To behold these architectural marvels, it undoubtedly makes one ponder on the degree of skill and technical ability the workers must have possessed in order to bring these monumental structures to life. And yet, it seems much of this could be accomplished with little-to-no literacy at all. In the chronicle of the Beaulieu cathedral, it was said the master designer and builder used only a few simple tools, and so must have had to rely upon his knowledge and experience acquired over a lifetime in his craft, though a tradeoff may have been longer construction times. But to be sure, the ability to read and write, knowledge of geometry and certain aspects of physics would naturally have been a necessity to ensure stability of the building.
Medieval architecture saw use of some of the features from the Classical Roman era. Arches were still relied upon for weight distribution. But cathedrals were built narrower, and taller compared to the temples, which introduced new considerations. To accommodate the increased stress, buttresses were invented to better distribute the weight towards the foundation of the building. This allowed the walls to be less thick, and for the famous large and ornate windows to be installed.