WORLD HIST TCI Ws Lesson 6 Human-Environment Interaction in Medieval Europe

Human-Environment Interaction in Medieval Europe

• Medieval Europe saw complex interactions between humans and the environment, not just environmental impact on humans.

Basic Physical Geography of Europe

• Europe is divided into five regions: Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, and Central.
• Each region has distinct characteristics: physical geography, climate, native plants/animals.
• Northern Europe (Scandinavia, Denmark, Iceland) experiences long periods of limited daylight.
• Southern Europe (Iberian, Apennine, Balkan Peninsulas) has a warm climate, geographically separated by mountains (Pyrenees, Alps, Carpathians).
• Eastern Europe forms a boundary between Northern, Southern, and Central Europe, extending in both latitude and longitude.
• Western Europe (France, Belgium, Netherlands, Great Britain, Ireland) includes the Iberian Peninsula, despite its westerly location.
• Central Europe is landlocked, bordering all the other European regions.

Medieval European Agriculture

• 90% of medieval Europe's population was involved in agriculture.
• Southern Europe's dry, hot climate supported the aratrum (light plow).
• Northern European soil (north of Alps/Pyrenees) required the moldboard plow (deep plowing).
• The moldboard plow, needing more draft animals, remained less common due to the manorial system's emergence. Long, rectangular plots were better suited to it.
• Technological advancements—horseshoes, horse collars, three-field crop rotation, manure use, rye and barley adoption—led to increased food production and population growth. The Medieval Warm Period (1150-1350) also contributed.
• Frequent crop failures (1243, 1258, 1315-1317 Great Famine, Bovine Pestilence 1319-1320) strained resources and likely contributed to the high mortality associated with the Black Death (1347-1352).
• The use of the aratrum over the moldboard plow in certain regions showcases human adaptation and the influence of local geographic conditions.

Increased Population and Its Consequences

• Population growth led to specialization, new forms of human-environment interaction, and increased trade.
• Water and wind power (waterwheels and windmills) became widely used for various tasks in agriculture, industry, and daily life (e.g., milling, brewing, wool preparation, metalworking).
• Trade networks expanded, connecting Europe and other parts of the world.
• Transport challenges included natural hazards and human-caused obstacles.
• Shipping advancements (cogs) led to increased wood use, deforestation, and urban pollution.

Pollution

• Population growth and expansion led to deforestation and increased fuel use (e.g. Coal), impacting air quality.
• Urbanization further contributed to pollution.
• Growing trade spurred concerns about environmental "nuisances" (e.g., waste, polluted streams) in cities like London.
• The Black Death spread via trade routes.
• Canals and locks were built to overcome geographic and waterway challenges and facilitate trade.

Trade & Transport

• Trade networks expanded, connecting Europe and other parts of the world.
• Merchants faced natural hazards and human-caused obstacles.
• Expanded trade routes facilitated the spread of products and, during the black death, disease across Afroeurasia.

Explore the intricate relationships between humans and their environment in Medieval Europe. This quiz delves into how geography shaped societal development and interactions. Understand the physical geography of Europe and its impact on various regions.