HIS109Y1 Lecture 1: The Manorial Economy
Document Summary
Manorial economy heavily focused on food (agriculture) Population of europe declined, no one to maintain the harbours/roads. >but they"re able to focus on subsistence farming (providing only for their small community) Estates are divided into three: crop, fallow, grazing/plants to put nutrients back, better fed population, higher fertility rates, fewer illnesses etc, 3 field system was very effective. >worked in the mediterranean area, not northern europe. >used the metal plowshare turn the soil (much more secure) >2 assumptions: enough metal for a plowshare, oxen/horse to power the plowshare. Diet mostly composed of grain (not nutritious, for peasants) Meat for knights, thus hunting became a cast mark: farming was a co-operative venture (everyone"s responsibility, >centered around a manor, >technically self-sufficient, >enough wealth to keep everyone alive +knights to defend+ priests don"t need to be laborers. >village in the center, distant surrounding fields, about a day"s walk.
