In 3 centuries the population doubled the birth rate

 In 3 centuries the population doubled . The Birth rate also improved, the mortality rate decreases. 3.5 children per
woman to 4.5.
 Life expectancy also improves England 22 in 1000, to 35 at 1300. The people aged earlier due to malnutrition, weather
and other stresses of medieval life.
Causes of the Demographic Explosion
 Climate : Europe is warmer
 Biological causes: regress of epidemic crisis. Leprosy came but did not caused death, and malaria almost completely
disappeared from Europe. People are surviving longer and having stronger children
 Political causes : no invasions anymore
 Technical causes: new tools for agriculture. Around 12000-1250, the whole problem of famine is nearly resolves.
Agricultural development
 Movement of clearing: removing forest to open new lands and cultivate more cereals. Rivers are drained and water is
controlled in the Low countries to reveal more land. Peasants move high in the mountains and domesticate animals
there.
 Clearing was undertaken by everyone , in a highly disorganized way, individuals, lords and kings, monasteries. All groups
wanted more food and money.
 Cities also participated by founding new cities on cleared tracts of land. When cities became full (they usually had wall
around them) they cleared more land to try and develop a new city.
Technical Tools
 Heavy Plough instead of simple ard , to turn over the soil, remove weeds, and junk. It was made of three parts; the
coulter, plowshare (removed the weeds), moldboard (lifted the soil and returned it.) .
 Animals are used for labour, and a horse collar is used to distribute the weight of the plough around the its whole body.
Crop Rotation
 Higher populations meant more mouths to feed, so landlords reorganized heir estates to run more efficiently, and in the
10 th century a three field system became more prevalent. A three-year rotation;
 Year 1: Sow during the fall and harvest in the spring.
 Year 2: Sow in the spring and harvest in July. (a different crop)
 Year 3: Let the land rest: the fallow. Animals would graze on this land
Machines of the village for communal use
 Forge: Blacksmiths jobs, forging iron, the smith created swords and amour
 Windmill and watermill, One mill for 50 houses
 They went from 3 grain/ grain, to 6-9 grain/ grain. This is more than what people could eat which means it can be
stored, and sold, thus this free people from having to worm on the land. Artisans and intellectuals can know focus on a

specific trade rather than farming. This is the change that created the Western society, and with this change the rise of
urban life became possible.
Peasant Living Conditions
 Serfdom: pursued uniformly until the year 1000, a sort of slavery.
 Chiefage: a personal tax of serf for his Lord.