American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics · 2026 · Lars Boerner、Battista Severgnini
中文摘要
本文考察公共机械钟——历史上最重要的高科技机器之一——在欧洲经济增长与发展中的采用、扩散及长期影响。为避免内生性,我们考察了此类时钟的采用与一个基于重复日食出现的工具变量之间的关系。日食曾引发一场中世纪的文化运动,人们试图理解星辰与钟表的运行,从而催生了天文仪器与威望的象征。我们发现,早期采用城市的人口出现显著增加,尤其是在1500年至1700年间。(JEL J11, N13, N33, N73, O31, O33)
Abstract
This paper investigates the adoption, diffusion, and long-run impact of the public mechanical clock, one of the most important high-technology machines in history, on European economic growth and development. We avoid endogeneity by considering the relationship between the adoption of such clocks and an instrumental variable based on the appearance of repeated solar eclipses. Solar eclipses triggered a medieval cultural movement in which people sought to understand the motion of stars and clocks, which resulted in astronomic instruments and symbols of prestige. We find a significant increase in population, especially between 1500 and 1700, in early adopter cities. (JEL J11, N13, N33, N73, O31, O33)