Lack of technological progress in late Roman Empire

[Robert Vermaat]

People make easy distinctions between romans and provincial citizens.
Most people make little distinctions between arabs and islamics.
Questions:
1) Does the notion of "roman contributions" mean that we are to list things invented by those born in Rome city, or we are to include areas around Rome, or maybe people of roman origin, or people not of roman stock but roman citizens from itlay and more distant provinces,...
2) If an invention was made in some hellenistic province, in some punic province, in syria, or in gaul, do we quickly say "Ah it was a local contribution, not a roman one".
3) Does the notion of "islamic contributions" mean that we are to lists contributions of just the Arabs or more reasonably it means from any islamic living in the world of Islam?
4) If an invention was made in Spain, Syria, Iran, Egypt, Sicily do we go and say "Ah it was an Islamic contribution".

Well, I agree that there's no difference between 'Arab' and 'Islamic', when it comes to inventures at least.
I would not say that 'Roman' and 'provincial Roman' carries a big distinction, but somehow there seems to be a difference between 'Roman' and 'Greek', even if that means 'Romano-Greek' or 'eastern Roman'. Gallic inventions are Roman, Syriac inventions are Greek.