many advancements in agricultural technology came during the medival era. I find it fascinating how many of these advancements are still used today and are common practice each day on farms around this country and around the world. Heavy Wheeled Plows became common in use in villages centered on farming. the cooperative style of village allowed for more animals to make the use of these plows more feesable.
Crop Rotation also found its routes in medival uses. Many fields became over used causing a shortage of crops for the peasants. Eventually peas and beans became common crops to offset grains. This took some getting use to by the people but the benefits of these plants were found to be more far reaching than as food stores. These plants restored the soil and made them usable again. We still see this all around in farming communities. Corn husks are plowed under, Hay is used to protect plants and fields and crop rotation is evident in many areas.
Many things pertaining to the care of horses came about due to these changes in farming. Horses were used to pull the plows yet they often sunk into the fresh turned earth due to this the horseshoe was developed. These prevented the hoofs of the horses from getting soft and allowed full use of the horses on a regular basis. Also with the use of horses to pull plows the need to have better harnesses and collars became evident. Because horses were not built in the same manner as oxen the need for special collars became evident. These new collars helped control the horses as well as provide for a way to harness multiple horses to the plows to increase power available. This allowed for one plow to do more work.
These inventions helped increase farming productivity which allowed for peasants to persue other endeavors.
I think these inventions are important not only to the advancement of the medival culture but have played a vital role in modern farming.
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Neccessity truly is the mother of invention. If you're giving up 60 percent of what you labored so hard to produce, you bet you're going to look for better ways. Because although 60 percent is 60 percent, 60 percent of nothing leaves your family starving. It's it wonderful that adversity brings out the best in human nature. Unfortunately it is not always for the better, there is always someone greedy enough to take something good and make it bad. But on a whole we as humans do adapt and thankly learn from the past and make use of the lessons learned. Isn't it wonderful that discoveries made back are still used so extensively today to our benefit and ejoyment.
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