The Culture of the High Middle Ages

1
The Culture of the High Middle Ages

• Agricultural and Economic Revolution
• The revival of learning

2
Agricultural and Economic Revolution

• C. 1000-1300 AD

3
Changes in Agriculture

• Population explosion (38-74 mil. in 300 years)
• The settlement of the 9th century invaders led to
  peace and stability
• Climate improved
• More land farmed more food
• Changes in technology (next slide)

4
Inventions and the Agricultural Revolution (after
1000)

• Water and wind mills
• Heavier plows made of iron (Carruca)
• Collar harness (horses instead of oxen)
• The horseshoe
• The three field system
• The result
• Better crops, more food, better diet
• Between 1000 and 1300 the population of Western
  Europe doubled

5
The Growth of Trade

• The population explosion also caused an increase
  in demand
• The first city states (Venice, Genoa, Pisa)
  established trade with the East (Asia-Byz-Eur)
• New business practices made trade easier The
  Commercial Revolution
• Coins (money economy)
• Banking (letters of credit)
• Partnerships (joint stock Cos)

6
The Revival of Towns

• Old Roman cities come back to life
• Craftsmen now produce goods for trade and create
  the new middle class or Bourgeoisie
• Guilds Apprentice, Journeyman, Master
• Organizations of crafts workers (unions)
• Government right to rule themselves from
  Charters obtained from the Lord
• Town Life (dirty, smelly, dangerous)
• Labor lords eventually become land lords
• Serfs become rent paying peasants

7
Scholasticism Scholarship Guided by Faith

• Bible regarded as the basis of all knowledge
• 1200s new Philosopher Christians believed that
  reason could be used to explain Christian
  teachings
• Both came from god, should go hand in hand
• St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica
• Used Aristotle to explain Christian teaching

8
Literature and Language

• The growth of the vernacular Everyday speech in
  a particular region
• Dante Alghieri (1265-1321) The Divine Comedy
• Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterburry Tales (late
  1300s)