14.2 Three Fields

2. Objectives:
•Be able to describe the three causes for food production
that was greater in quantity and quality and how they
led to it.
•Know what guilds are and the three step process to
joining a guild.
•Know about Medieval finances.
•Know why towns became bigger and more important
and what they’re effect was on the feudal system.

3. Three things start to happen in MA to help food
production increase
•First Thing --- Global Warming!!
•Yep it can be a good thing
•800-1300 Europe is warming up
•No its not from smog from cars…but there was some smog
(hint)
•Anyway it leads to longer growing season
•North Europe now can grow food

4. Three things start to happen in MA to help food
production increase
•Second Thing --- Horsies!!!
•Oxen were used for plowing for a long time
•Cheaper than horses – Oxen can eat bad grain
•Diva horses needed the good stuff
•Biggest problem was the harness
•2
nd
biggest problem the cost of growing good grain

5. This is the original harness
derived from the Roman design.
Because of the placement of the
top strap and that the pull lines
were at the top, the harness had
the unfortunate habit of choking
the horse if it pulled too hard.
The next-gen harness (the
breast harness) was better but
the breast strap could still ride
up and choke the horse.

6. So along comes the horse
collar. It fits around the
horse’s head with the pull
lines at the sides. This puts
the pulling pressure on the
shoulders and breast of the
horse, and off its neck. The
horse can now be used as a
good farm implement.

8. Three things start to happen in MA to help food
production increase
•Third Thing --- The three-field system
•Used to be there was only 2 fields
•You would farm one and leave the other fallow (to keep soil
healthy)
•Then some smart farmer (named Joe???) said, “hey, let’s use 3
fields”
•One field had winter crop (wheat)
•2
nd
field had spring crop (oats, peas)
•3
rd
field was left fallow

9. •The first benefit of this system is that in a given year
you were farming 2/3 of your land instead of just
half. That means more food.
•The second benefit is that the greater variety of food
was better for people and increased their nutritional
input.
•The third benefit is that you could grow crops like
oats and barley that you could use to feed the diva
horses, which in turn could be used for farming.
•The overall result of these three things was more food
and better nutrition. Those result in more people since
the land will feed more folks and they aren’t as likely to
die. This is what happened in Europe.

10. IMAGINE….. You are a peasant that is vistiting
your cousin in England. You live in the great
(ugh) country of France. Write a letter home to
your momma and pappa, describing how the
three field system works and how you and
your family should start to use it…
½ to ¾ of a page

11. Guilds
•Group that practices the same craft
•Blacksmiths, bakers, tailors, copper, etc
•Controlled “the market” – set prices, who could sell items, etc
•If you were not in the tailor guild you couldn’t sell clothes

12. How to become a guild
•1
st
become apprentice – 5 to 9 years
•2
nd
become a journeyman (traveling) – worked for other masters (sharing ideas)
•Finally – choose your town, apply to local guild and then produce master piece
•The advantage of the guild is that it created standards for its craft and also exercised
quality control. If you weren’t good enough, you wouldn’t peddle your wares in the
town

13. Finances
•The Catholic Church didn’t allow Christians to charge
interest on loans. This kinda discouraged lending any
money at all.
•Jewish bankers, however, were not bound by this and
would loan money. This was one of the few activities
available to them since they were not allowed to own
land, be in a guild, or do a number of other things.
•The Jewish people in Europe, therefore, never
entered into the feudal system and they formed the
early banking entities.
•Quite ironically, the vicious stereotype of Jews being
greedy moneylenders and bankers was partially the
result of the stereotype’s founders’ own
discrimination.

14. Towns and cities
•Around this time, towns and cities started becoming
important again. Europe’s population went from 30
million to 42 million between 1000 and 1150. They had
to go somewhere.
•As trade increased, the towns also became more
important trade and production centers.
•They thus gained in size and influence as people moved
to them

15. •The towns and cities weren’t pretty. They were tightly
packed and smelly. Refuse (including human waste)
were tossed out into the streets. People didn’t bathe.
Houses were firetraps.
•The towns also grew haphazardly according to trails,
walking paths, and herd routes. There was no
centralized city planning or grid layouts of streets. You
can still this in old European cities where there seems
to be no rationale behind street layouts. Observe:

16. New York City
Paris
Vs.

17. London

18. •Copy down the chart at the bottom of page 362.
You will be able to use this chart along with
the chart on the crusades on your test. If you
want you can this chart on the back of the
crusade chart.