Hi everyone!
**** Remember that the test will take place during this week's lecture time (March 21). The test will take place during the second hour of lecture (11am). It will be multiple choice. All material from the lectures and tutorial readings is the focus of the test. There will be some questions related to a map, however, there will be no other images. You are expected to attend the first hour of lecture as normal and then once you have completed the test you will be free to go. You may take as much time to complete the test as you need. ****
This week we will be focusing on the chapter from A History of Medieval Europe by R.H.C. Davis on the economic situation of the early Middle Ages (with a focus on trade and the agrarian economy). For your first assignment you will be asked to summarize the arguments Davis makes in this chapter so it is very important you look over this reading in detail.
The goal of the assignment is to help students develop their reading and note-taking skills, as well as their ability to synthesize material and summarize arguments.
With that in mind I thought I would ask a few different types of questions here to help get you started.
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What is Davis' argument in this chapter? Can you summarize it in one or two sentences?
In your opinion, what are the key points to Davis' argument?
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To help you zero in on some of the key points in the article have a look over the tutorial discussion questions for this week. They will help you examine the first part of the article (focusing on trade in the Mediterranean). For help examining the second part of the article (on the agrarian economy) have a think about the following questions.
1) What is a polyptych? Why are they useful historical sources?
2) What is the demesne? What is tributary land?
3) Why might a peasant proprietor surrender his land to his lord?
4) What is a serf? Are they different in the early medieval period from a colonus?
5) What is a manse?
6) How and why was ninth-century agrarian society in a state of transition?
7) What is meant by the term 'manorial system'?
8) What is the difference between the 'open-field' and 'enclosure' field systems?
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Finally, what aspects of this assignment do you feel confident about? What aspects are you a little worried or nervous about?
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Remember, your comments can address the points above or be the result of any of your thoughts, reflections or questions about the reading for this week. Happy posting everyone!
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Here are some images to help spark our imaginations!
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| Serfs reaping the harvest overseen by a reeve |
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| The three-field system |
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| An impression of a medieval plow team |
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| An early Byzantine besant |
And just for fun.......I think we could all do with a laugh at this point in term! The first link here is to the video we watched in lecture on the 'Codex IT' sketch, and the second is a fun clip from Monty Python's 'The Holy Grail'. Enjoy!
I found this reading mildly confusing, I was confused about the details of the economic differences between the east and the west. My strengths lie in politics not economics haha.
ReplyDeleteI was nonetheless interested by the idea of the open field system and I found it to be a fascinating form of primitive communism and I found it ironic that this system of equality and communal possession was offset by a rigid structure of hierarchical obedience.
I also found it fascinating how differently society operated when it was reliant on physical money and then lost its reliance on currency. I thought these differences were very interesting and I liked learning how the change of currency reliance affected the structure and lifestyle of the empires.
I'm sorry I don't have much at all to contribute to this post the information really didn't click with me!
I found it interesting to read about the prosperity of the Byzantine and Islamic Empires; for some unknown reason I had never linked their 'glorious moments' to medieval times. They seem to be very important suppliers not only during the early Middle Ages but throughout, especially in regards with silk and paper.
ReplyDeleteEven though Davis has said that many (or most?) rebuke Pirenne's theory and given good reason; I was wondering if there were/are others who agree with it and if they would have more or different types of evidence?
I like to imagine how everything would have appeared and how people lived their life so I found the little part about the 'open-field system' and 'enclosure' quite interesting. The ‘enclosure’ system really reflects the dark and dreary stereotype of medieval times.
I also found this reading to be quite confusing and hard to take in all at once, but I found it interesting the division between the East and the West countries and the creation of Banks from the Islamic people I thought was interesting how the reading said you could draw a cheque in one place and then cash it in the next. I thought that this being acomplished without the kinds of technology that we have today was highly sophisticated and almost futuristic.
ReplyDeleteI was also interested by the Serfs having too many rights to be slaves, yet not enough to be allowed to be free, and the slaves that were 'leftover' were given their own land to look after for their masters and their own chance at having a family life.
I did struggle to take in all the readings this week, but there were certain things that are certainly quite ineteresting concepts. How the people can survive through the fall of an economy where the currency no longer had any importance made it appear to make the townspeople 'equal' but only in certain ways.
I would like to learn about this though because the medieval economy is so different from anything I've known it was just slightly confusing :)
I really enjoyed this week’s readings because I got to learn about the economy and growth of a society so long ago. The use of all the natural surroundings and commodities of that era was striking. I always viewed the Mediterranean Sea as a beautiful natural landmark rather than the transportation of goods.
ReplyDeleteI found the “economy of no outlets” quite interesting. If the Mediterranean became unsafe, from pirates, or commerce declined then so would the economic significance of the government. Furthermore, the theory that if the economy declined so would the population thus farmers and proprietors would find less purchases for their commodities.
The curious economic historiography of the Early Middle Ages was of most interest to me this week, especially Davis' analysis of Henri Pirenne's thesis on Western economic stagnation. Though Davis' disagrees that currency and trade had completely stopped, both agree that during the 9th and 10th centuries the disintegration of the Carolingian empire was concurrent with the smallest amount of commercial activity (in the 'Latin West') since antiquity.
ReplyDeleteThe investigation into this apparent 'economy of no outlets', with theories on the Mediterranean being hostage to piracy or the west finding replacements to exotic goods, the great contrast to the flourishing Constantinople and Baghdad, etcetera held the most intrigue for me this week.
As for the '2. Agrarian economy' section of the reading, lets just say I don't particularly care for thousand year old land surveys.
I also struggled somewhat with wrapping my head around some of the concepts, but I think I got the general gist in the end. I found the idea of the freemen and serfs quite confusing as it seemed strange the idea that they were technically ‘free’ but... not, what with the dues they had to pay etc. I think I may understand it better once I’ve heard the lecture.
ReplyDeleteI wasn’t particularly fond of the survey, which was in both Latin and English for our convenience… but it was interesting to see what was being discussed supported by actual (albeit confusing) documentation.
I was also impressed by the ‘open field’ system they had going on. As Carolyn said, it really did remind me of a sort of commune what with the combined effort for the good of the group. It seemed quite logical the way they went about working the land.
I was surprised to hear that Charlemagne had an elephant! How could Einhard leave that out?
ReplyDeleteThis week's reading has given me a greater understanding of why land was so important in the Middles Ages, it was their only real source of wealth. Reading on the economy has created a greater understanding of the reasons behind the cause of the feudal society. Pirenne described it as an 'economy of no outlets' which in my opinion, now makes Charlemagne seem a little less ingenious as he did last week for creating feudal ties!
Unlike what most others have posted I found the Survey to be interesting, although I am one of those people that love reading junk mail! I had never come across this word corvées before, the definition being 'a day's unpaid labor owed by a vassal to his feudal lord'. Interesting to see mention of Charlemagne's feudal ties again.
Also, does anybody else struggle to prove they are not a robot?
I was surprised to find out how advanced some of the civilisations in the ninth century were. To read that they had a banking system in which you could "draw a check in Baghdad and cash it in Morocco."
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I love about studying history is that you find out all your previous misconceptions and presumptions about history are wrong. I always believed that the Latin west would have been richer and further politically advanced than the East and this week's reading has proved me wrong.
I also struggle proving that I am not a robot....