Early Middle Ages

22/04/2015

Many Germanic tribes traveling away from our country, and left a sparsely populated wasteland behind. Our regions come under the dominion of great men like King Clovis and Emperor Charlemagne. This we know from written sources: official documents on parchment in Latin. Such texts circulate only in a small fraction of the highest-ranking elite. To get to know something about them, we are still largely dependent on archaeological finds. Although it is not right to just look at the elite, the formation of this special population is very low determines the early Middle Ages. Instead of acquired prestige one gets automatically status by birth or marriage and that includes all sorts of privileges. For example, the monopoly of power, a monopoly on the use of force and claiming a share of the harvest.

During the eighth century feudalism evolves: the highest prince give parts of his land in fief to gentry. This strengthens the territorial structure, which of course sometimes leads to disputes. The first walburchten be built. Society is organized into social classes: the nobility and the bourgeoisie. The third position is the church. In the period from 500-750 AD is our country Christianized. Traveling monks spread Christianity. Old Germanic customs and shrines are seamlessly integrated into the new faith. Christianity has much influence. Not only in personal life but also in the socio-political sphere.

The church is a powerful, widespread organization, which is under special protection of the nobility. But most of the people just work. Settlements of five or six farms companies subsistence farming and small-scale craftsmanship. From the seventh century a few settlements grow into more specialized marketplaces such as Domburg, Witla (near Rotterdam) and Dorestad (Wijk bij Duurstede). These are compact cities where the houses are close together. Especially Frisians are successful merchants.

The early medieval peasants are very versatile. They grow many kinds of crops and keep animals. Livestock are cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, geese and rabbits. In house spins now also a cat. The fields are rye, barley, oats, flax, oil seed, legumes, vegetables, herbs and dye plants for textiles. From the eighth century, cultivation, fruit, apples and plums. People also catch animals to eat: fish and birds with nets and snares.

Who successfully burps can buy a horse to work the land, a new technique. That's real luxury; Horses are expensive and are also considered to be noble. Therefore they may not be eaten, according to the Church. The population is growing and the country is through reclamation and migration gradually deforested. Arise sand drifts and other landscape changes, especially in the coastal region and in the Veluwe.