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Posts from the ‘Medieval Agriculture’ Category

Jan 28

Macclesfield-Psalter

The Heavy Plough

New research proves beyond doubt the importance of the heavy plough for the economic development AD 900 -1300.

In 1962 Lynn White, Jr. argued – against all the Marxists – that the primary explanation for the economic and demographic boom around AD 1000 was the introduction of the proper mouldboard plough. As opposed to the traditional and ancient ard, the plough with its mouldboard, share and coulter was able to cut through the clay soils of Northern and Central Europe. Thus the introduction of the plough – according to White – made an extensive cultivation of the Northern and Eastern wilderness possible.

Further, in terms of the size of the crop, the plough – in contrast to the ard – not only turns the soil and buries the weed, it also brings the lower soil, where the nutrients have been trapped, to the surface.

Finally, this  gradual introduction of the plough was believed by White to have a series of other consequences. Primarily it caused an increased need for oxen or horses, thus indirectly causing a need for fodder crops; hence the transition from infield-outfield farming to open-field system and a more systematic crop-rotation. Finally it was claimed to cause an increased need for peasant collaboration primarily in connection with the caretaking of the draught beasts and the need to fence in the fields during the season of growth.

Needless to say that the work of Lynn White was not well received in the research climate in the 60’s and the 70’s. Thus in a scathing review in Past and Present (vol 24), the Marxist Rodney H. Hilton went ballistic in his critique of the sources and literature Lynn White based his arguments upon.

plough1 0 300x200 The Heavy Plough

The new work, which has been carried out by a research collaborative at The University of Odense in Denmark, is based on a correlation of a number of different parameters. apparently it seems to redeem the writings of Lynn White.

Using GIS the researchers have identified the regional localities in Europe with clay fertile soil. Secondly the degree of urbanization and demographic density of these areas have been decided based on the historic series at EurAtlas. Thirdly the researchers have controlled for the effects of such phenomena as trade possibilities, Roman Heritage etc.

Correlating these types of information show overwhelmingly that there is a correlation between the growth of population density and to some degree urbanization – and not least how this correlation can be traced back to the period between AD 900 – 1000.

It stands to reason that the researchers do not conclude that the growth in terms of demographics and urbanization in this period were univocally caused by the introduction of the plough. ”Our results are silent on how such innovations as the new harness and the three field system affected the plough”, writes Christian Skovsgaard  in a preliminary publication. Nevertheless the results seem statistically very sound. Thus to some extent redeeming Lynn White and his thesis.

READ ABOUT THE PROJECT:

The Heavy Plough and the European Agricultural Revolution of the Middle Ages.

How the heavy plough changed the world. In Science Nordic, 22.01.2013

 

READ MORE

The Heavy Plough and the European Agricultural Revolution of the Middle Ages. Evidence from a Historical Experiment. By Christian Skovsgaard, University of Southern Denmark 2012.

Medieval Technology and Social Change.
By Lynn White, Jr.
Oxford University Press 1962/1966

 

One of the critiques of Rodney H. Hilton was the claim by White, that the Danes introduced the plough and the coulter to England. However, since then, archaeology has to some extent redeemed the proposition. See the story about a find of a coulter in Lyminge in Kent.

 

Dec 3

Greenway_Devon

Medieval Settlement Research

The Medieval Settlement Research Group

The Medieval Settlement Research Group (MSRG) is a long established, widely recognised and open multi-disciplinary group that facilitates collaboration between archaeologists, historians, geographers and other interested parties.

The Group is dedicated to developing understanding of rural landscapes and settlements including villages, hamlets and farmsteads between the 5th and 16th centuries AD. For information about membership, conferences, grants and other activities, please see the MSRG website.

The MSRG’s journal, Medieval Settlement Research (MSR), is published each year in the autumn. The journal is an internationally recognised publication, containing peer-reviewed research papers, fieldwork reports and news, reviews and an annual bibliography. Although the Group’s interests are concentrated on British and Irish medieval landscapes between the 5th and 16th centuries AD, it actively encourages wider chronological and pan-European perspectives. Medieval Settlement Research therefore welcomes papers on Britain, Ireland and Europe that help us to improve our understanding of medieval settlements and landscapes from the level of individual sites to the international scale.

A digitisation project is currently near completion and back issues of the MSR and its predecessor the MSRG Annual Report are now available to users free of charge via the Archaeology Data Service (ADS). Other bibliographic details of past content can be found on the British and Irish Archaeological Bibliography (BIAB).

Back issues of the Annual Report (1986-2007) and Medieval Settlement Research journal (2008-2010) are now available online from the ADS

Sep 26

charcoal-burning-kiln

Medieval Charcoal

Can you talk about sustainability in the middle ages? This is the theme for a special session at the 49. Deutsche Historikertag

We all know by now that the earth is flat, hot and crowded. And that it will get worse the more we become. Might we learn from past techniques – and even medieval technologies – in order to find ways of living more sustainable lives? This is the overriding theme at the 49. Deutsche Historikertag, where “conflicts about resources” is the overriding theme.

As with all huge Conferences a number of sessions and papers tend to disregard this framework. However, one medieval session has tackled this question head-on.

According to the primary organiser of this session, Prof. Dr. Oliver Auge, sustainable development is a key paradigm in the global debate about our future. However, the question for medievalists is of course whether it makes sense to talk about this in a medieval historical context? Were medieval people ever voluntarily frugal in the sense that we use this concept? It is to this currently rather lively debate in scientific circles, which the session wishes to contribute – presenting a number of papers originating from historical subfields like environmental and technological history, archaeology and archaeobotany.

Charcoal burning 199x300 Medieval CharcoalOne point of perspective in the debate will be a reevaluation of the widespread medieval practice of charcoal production. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, where the heating of wood or other substances takes place in the absence of oxygen. To produce charcoal the collier pile billets of wood on their ends in order to form a conical pile. At the bottom an opening lets in air while a central shaft lets the smoke escape. The pile is then covered with turf and moistened clay. The firing – which is a special craft – begins at the bottom and gradually spreads outwards and upwards

The massive production of charcoal  in the Middle Ages was a major cause of deforestation. However all over Europe woods were managed as coppices, which were cut and regrew cyclically, so that a steady supply of charcoal would be available.

Archaeologists have shown how the production of charcoal usually was part of the peasant economy in forested areas; but hornbeam coppice wood as well as alder and birch swamps were systematically forested in order to feed these kilns. The use of fast growing coppiced woods was a common sustainable technique among medieval peasants. However, studies by the archaeologist, Arne Paysen, have shown that when charcoal production was instigated by the large landowners, the production was not sustainable. Here old trees were used ending in a massive and non-sustainable deforestation. Several papers will report on these aspects of medieval forest-management, more specifically in the region of Schleswig-Holstein.

It is the University of Kiel, which is active in the broad field of research into historical ecosystems.

Sustainable energy consumption in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Europe

Medieval charcoal burning is practiced  at the Open-Air Museum in Schleswig-Holstein

 

Sep 25

cantigas-1250-husbandry

Medieval Farming

What did Early Medieval European landscapes look like?And Early medieval farming? How did peasants and slaves cultivate the land? What kinds of animals did they husband? What forms of settlement were typical?

In Northern Europe there is a long tradition to excavate not only the buildings but also to investigate the botanical and zoological remains on these sites. And indeed, much is known not only about the size of the farms, the tools, and the systems of agriculture but also about which types of animals were kept on the land an on the farms.

In opposition to this Mediterranean archaeology of farming and husbandry in medieval Southern Europe is much less systematically developed. Although historical analysis of bio-archaeological remains from Southern European medieval sites has been conducted since the 70s, these types of studies are still sporadic.

The interpretation of historical landscapes and ways of production is accordingly often made solely on the basis of textual witnesses, while reflection on these aspects based on archaeology is muted. Nevertheless, in the last years, the number of specialists and researchers, who study the archaeology of farming and husbandry, has grown and a significant amount of data has surfaced. A conference in Northern Spain in November aims to take stock of this new research and contribute to the formulation of more general syntheses concerning Early Medieval Southern Europe

Focus is on the agricultural history of Spain, but in a comparative perspective. In order to achieve this a series of general presentations on archaeo-fauna, paleo-climatic changes, farming and husbandry in Early Medieval England, Italy, Spain, France and the Basque region are supposed to lift the overall debate to a new level.

Presentations will be given by

Archaeology of Farming and Husbandry in Early Medieval Ages
Facultad de Letras (Universidad del País Vasco)
Vitoria-Gasteiz (Álava, Spain)
15.11.2012 – 16.11.2012

Archaeoetnologica – a dedicated blog