01 A: Population change and food supply

Eras of population change

  1. Migration periods (300-600, 800-950)
  2.   1000-1300: growth
  3. 14th c: demographic crisis

Agricultural economy

Manor: Curtis

Kingston Lacy, Dorset ca 1370

another schematic image

curtis medievale (It.)

Lord

Peasants (free or unfree)

Demesne

Crop rotation: 2 or 3 field systems

Points of change up to 1300:

  1. Population increase
  2. Regionally: urban growth means growth of food markets
  3. Clearing of land
  4.  Sheep: urban wool trade

Crises of fourteenth century:

 

  1.  “Little Ice Age”
  2. Famine years: Esp  1315-18 New book    P. Slavin (Brepols)
  3. Cattle disease
  4. 1347-48 Black Death

Tournai: burying the dead

 

 

After the Black Death: several stages

  1. Immediate: dislocation
  2. Intermediate term: more food per capita, prices decline
  3. Labor shortage: costs increase
  4. Marginal lands removed from production
  5. peasant revolts in 1380s
  6. Population continues to decline until ca 1400; long recovery
  7. Shift to lower labor products: sheep
  8. Commodity agriculture
  9. More meat in diet

 

Regional trends:

England:sheep, livestock; barley for beer and for livestock

France, Germany, Italy, Spain: wine

Germany: flax

Image result for flax medieval europe

Southern Europe: sugar, silkworms

 

Renting out of demesne lands at fixed rents to avoid dealing with labor problems

  • More market economy in peasantry, increased size of peasant holdings
  • Decrease in hereditary nature of peasant id. with plots of land
  • Nobles less need to move around; fewer, fancier residences
  • Enclosures; end of commons privileges

 

Southern Europe

  • Mezzadria
  • Transhumance
  • Greater diversity of diet
  • Urban governments and control of countryside

An urban granary: Florence, Orsanmichele