Often the most influential developments initially appear to be of minor significance. Consider the development of the basic stirrup for example. Without stirrups horse and rider are, in terms of force, separate entities; lances can be used from horseback, but only by throwing or stabbing, and mounted warriors gain only height and mobility. In medieval times, a lance couched under the rider’s arm, unifying the force of rider and weapon, would throw its wielder backwards off the horse at impact. Stirrups unify lance, rider, and horse into a force capable of unprecedented violence. This development left unusually clear archaeological markers: With lethality assured, lances evolved barbs meant to slow progress after impact, lest the weight of body pull rider from horse. The change presaged the dominance of mounted combat, and increasingly expensive equipment destroyed the venerable ideal of freeman warriors. New technology demanded military aristocracy, and chivalric culture bore its marks for a millennium.

The primary purpose of the passage is to

A) discuss the influence of a recent archeological discovery
B) explore the societal significance of a technological innovation
C) assess the state of research in a given field
D) lament the destruction of certain social ideals
E) explicate the physics of combat artillery



It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes which of the following about innovations in military technology?

A) Their study merits additional research.
B) They had more lasting influence than did those of the ancient world.
C) Most of them had equally far-reaching repercussions.
D) Prior to their application, the military value of horses was considered insignificant.
E) Many of them are archaeologically ambiguous.



Select the sentence in the passage in which the author cites the physical effects of a technological innovation being discussed as an example of a previous generalization.