History II / Towns and Commerce, Eleventh to Thirteenth Centuries
Practice question · Select all that apply

Which agricultural changes contributed to the population growth of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries?

Hints
  1. Three of these are medieval; one arrives from the Americas centuries later.
  2. The potato reaches Europe after 1492.
Show the answer
  • B. A heavy plough able to turn wet clay soils
  • C. Three-field rotation, raising the cultivated share and adding a spring sowing
  • D. The horse collar, allowing horses to be used for traction
Why

The three real changes compound: a plough that opens northern soils, a rotation that cuts fallow from a half to a third, and faster traction. None is individually dramatic and together they lift output enough to feed a population that roughly doubles, which is the precondition for towns of any size.

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