Aim: Describe the Advances in Agriculture in Medieval Society?

A Growing Food Supply Europe’s great revival and expanding civilization required an increase in food supply 800-1200, Warmer climate brought improved farm production Farmers developed new methods to take advantage of more available land 2

Switch to Horsepower For hundreds of years, peasants had depended on oxen to pull their plows A Team of horses could plow three times as much land in a day as a team of oxen Better harnesses were required 900, farmers in Europe began using a harness that fitted across the horse’s chest- Enabled to pull plow result, horses gradually replaced oxen 3

The Three Field System 900- Villages began to organize their lands into 3 fields instead of 2 2 were planted on and the 3rd was left alone (Fallow) Under Three-Field System, farmers could grow crops on 2/3 of land each year Instead of on half of it Results: Food production increased and villages had more to eat Children could better resist disease & live longer European population grew dramatically 4

Agriculture and Trade Agriculture most important industry in empire 90% of people engaged in farming Silver coins called a Denarius was used in Empire Common coinage made trade easier Rome had vast trading network Ships from east traveled the Mediterranean protected by the Roman Navy Complex network of roads linked empire to places including Persia and Southern Russia 5