Are you interested in the Middle Ages? If so, check out this artcle from English Heritage on some of their more ingenious (and a sometimes weird inventions). Some are a bit obvious (castles for defense), and some are a bit more obscure (the Medieval equivalent of toilets); but they all give you a look at how the Europeans lived in the Middle Ages.
Article: 7 INGENIOUS INVENTIONS OF THE MIDDLE AGES
Humanities Scholars 