What were the agricultural changes in the Middle Ages?

Answer 1

Answer relating to climateSome people say that the cause of the fall of the Roman Empire in the West around 400 AD was a change in the climate, which caused famines and plagues and made people unhappy with their government.

•It is true that there was a cold period around this time in Western Europe, but it probably came a little later, in the 500's and 600's AD, too late to be the cause of the fall of Roman government. But around 500 the climate did get colder.

• In the south, like in Spain, this may have been good: more rain, maybe. In the north, in France, Germany, and England, it was bad. There was a lot of flooding in the river valleys, and many Roman villages in the valleys had to be abandoned as people moved up onto the hills. You couldn't grow olives or wine so far north as before. One result was a general shift to eating butter rather than olive oil and using tallow or beeswax candles for lighting instead of oil lamps.

•By about 800, in the time of Charlemagne, the weather began to improve again, and around 1000 AD was probably a very good time in Europe, when it was easy to grow wheat and barley and even wine again. The same weather patterns that made for good weather in north-western Europe, however, may have made southern Spain hotter and drier than people liked.

•Again toward the end of the Middle Ages, around 1400 AD, there was another "Little Ice Age," with much the same effects as before. There was a lot of flooding, and in England especially there were many years where the crops were ruined and people went hungry. Although changes in government do have important effects on ordinary people's lives, the weather also plays a very important role.

Answer relating to technologyThere were a number of changes in agriculture and the way it was pursued.

In Roman times, the plow was pulled by attaching it to a horse by tying a rope from one to the other, with the rope simply tied to the horse's neck. This was very fatiguing for the horse. Plows were light and could not turn much soil or plow deeply. The invention of the horse collar and the heavy plow during the Early Middle Ages made agriculture much more efficient, and this made it possible to free more people to pursue crafts.

Horse shoes did not exist in Roman times (nor did stirrups, though this was not a factor for agriculture). Horse shoes added to the value of horses for agriculture.

Wine presses were introduced, making wine production less labor intensive.

Hops came to be used for beer, which meant a new crop was being raised in Germany. Their use spread to other places in later times.

The Middle Ages saw the introduction of three crop rotation instead of two crop. This meant that on any manor, two thirds of the fields were in use at any time instead of half. One third was for crops planted in fall, and one third for crops planted in spring, and this created a different mix of crops.

During the High Middle ages, someone in Britain figured out that cows, which had little to graze on in the winter, were healthier if they had food from storage. Turnips did nicely for this, and the result was a very large increase in milk, cheese, and beef.

Some specialty crops were introduced. One example is a type of thistle with an edible flower bud. Today we call it an artichoke.

Heavy horses bred for jousting were made available for farms.

An increase in interest in spices from the East lead to an increase in locally grown seasonings.

Answer 2

There were a number of changes in agriculture in the Middle Ages that increased output and made it possible to feed a much larger population than could be supported during the time of the Roman Empire.

Part of the reason for this was technology. The introduction of the horse collar during the Early Middle Ages made it possible for horses to pull much heavier loads than they previously could. Among the heavier loads was the heavy plow, introduced during the same period, which made deep plowing possible, increasing crop yields. The invention of horse shoes also helped with this.

In addition, there were other, more generalized technologies that changed agriculture by providing other new abilities. Artesian wells and new types of windmills made it possible to pump large amounts of water where needed. Other windmills were used to grind more grain. New spinning wheels and looms provided a market for larger amounts of flax and cotton, increasing agricultural output. The European wheel barrow was invented, which benefited workers both on the farm and off. The wine press made it possible to process wine with fewer workers, freeing those people for other jobs. The introduction of distilling produced brandy and whiskey, increasing the demand for grapes, apples, and grain. The blast furnace made it possible to use increased amounts of steel in tools and other equipment.

Another technology that was introduced was the three field system of crop rotation. In Roman times, fields were used one year, and were fallow the next. In the three field system, a crop was planted in a field one year, a different crop was planted the next, and the field was fallow in the third year. This meant that the same six fields that would have three tilled each year under the old system would have four tilled in the new, an increase in the amount of tilled land available of 33%.

New crops were also being introduced from Muslim lands, including artichokes, spinach, some citrus fruits, peaches, and apricots. These were spread by trade to a number of different parts of Europe.

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Answer 3

Probably the most important improvements were the three field system of crop rotation, the heavy plow, the horse collar which made it possible for horses to pull the heavy plow, and horseshoes.

There are two links below to related questions that deal with agricultural improvements that might be of interest.

Answer 4

The most important agricultural development of the middle ages was the use of the three field system. Farm land can not be cultivated year after year without exhausting the soil and badly damaging crop yields. A system of crop rotation is needed. In the early middle ages farmers generally used a two field system, in which half of the farm land is left fallow (meaning no crops planted, or a cover crop) and half of the land is planted. Part would be planted with a winter crop such as wheat or rye, and part would be planted with a spring crop such as oats or legumes (beans, peas, etc).

Starting roughly around the year 1000 Europeans gradually began to shift to a 3 field system. Under this system the available farm land was divided into three sections instead of two. One third was left fallow, one third was planted with a winter crop, and one third was planted with a spring crop. The three field system put approximately 16 percent more farmland into production each year, which resulted in significantly more food production, but still maintained the fertility of the land. This extra food was essential for population growth in general, and especially for the growth of cities and towns, as a larger percentage of the overall population could be engaged in activities other than food production.

Other important improvements in agriculture included improved tools, especially the plow, and developments in windmill technology.

Answer 5

the plow is one of the most important technologies developed