Bert Groenewoudt, Jan van Doesburg & Hans Renes 2015: Land of the Free. Social contrasts in Dutch 'outlands' (a.d. 1200-1900), Landscape History, 36:2, 35-48. (original) (raw)
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In the Netherlands, most high and dry land was settled and cultivated as early as the prehistoric period. Many lowlands, on the other hand, remained essentially unreclaimed until well into the Middle Ages. Since then these areas, too, have witnessed rapid change, physically as well as socially. Usually in medieval reclamation areas, under frontier-like conditions, settlers managed to become free farmers. This paper discusses the interesting twofaced character of the social developments in some of the ‘outlands’ along the margins of the ‘civilised world’. In some areas elite groups emerged or expanded, and castles and castle-like dwellings were shooting up far and wide, while wilderness areas were rapidly being transformed into highly productive arable land. Elsewhere smallholders and paupers settled, or were forced to settle involuntarily. In the latter cases the local economy was largely based on peat cutting and small-scale subsistence agriculture. Socially, outlands (reclamation areas) therefore took very different paths, which is still recognisable today. The history of these social contrasts is complex and deserves more research. Different opportunities as well as the ability and freedom to exploit them seem to have been key factors.
One problem with scholarly research into land reclamation has been the tendency to concentrate on two questions e how and why did it happen leading to an over-emphasis on technological innovation and demographic and commercial pressures. This has obscured far more fascinating and significant questions e what were the social consequences of pre-industrial land reclamation? What kinds of societies emerged as a result of land reclamation? These questions are addressed through a comparative historical analysis of two cases of land reclamation in the medieval period: the peat lands of Holland (the Netherlands) and the Po Valley plains (Northern Italy). In the paper it is shown that medieval land reclamation led to the emergence of two very divergent societies, characterised by a number of different configurations in; (a) power and property structure, (b) modes of exploitation, (c) economic portfolios, and (d) commodity markets. In the final section, a further question is considered. To what extent were either of these societies inherently better configured to negate the potentially disastrous effects of land reclamation on the natural environment? In the conclusion it is argued that more ‘equitable’ and ‘freer’ pre-industrial societies were better placed to deal with the consequences of environmental degradation than those marked by polarisation and repression e even when those polarised societies made recourse to capital investment in technology.
One problem with scholarly research into land reclamation has been the tendency to overly focus on two questions - how and why did it happen? It has led to an over-emphasis on technological innovation and demographic and commercial pressures. Furthermore, it has obscured a far more fascinating and significant question – what were the social consequences of pre-industrial land reclamation? What kinds of societies emerged as a result of land reclamation? These questions are addressed through a comparative historical analysis of two cases of land reclamation in the medieval period: the peat lands of Holland (the Netherlands) and the Po Valley plains (Northern Italy). In the paper it is shown that medieval land reclamation led to the emergence of two very divergent societies, characterised by a number of different configurations; (a) power and property structure, (b) modes of exploitation, (c) economic portfolios, and (d) commodity markets. In the final section, a further question is considered. To what extent was either of these societies inherently better configured to negate the potentially disastrous effects of land reclamation on the natural environment?
Making Places, Making Lives. Landscape and Settlement in Coastal Wetlands : Proceedings of the 72nd Sachsensymposion, 9-12 October 2021 Castricum-Alkmaar, 2024
This paper explores the socio-economic and landscape transformations in the Central Netherlands during the transition from the Roman to the medieval period, focusing on the role of byre-houses and animal husbandry. The study reconstructs subsistence strategies and their impact on landscape management by examining the layouts of excavated byre-houses and the organization of household economies. The analysis reveals significant changes in settlement patterns and agricultural practices, highlighting the shift from a predominantly cattle-based economy to more diversified subsistence activities. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of early medieval rural communities and their adaptive strategies in response to environmental and socio-economic challenges.
Medieval Rural Settlement in Marginal Landscapes
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The lack of hierarchy in the coastal area has often been contributed to a lack of data. In this paper I want to propose that this lack of hierarchy may be explained by new theories. The area is characterized by single farmsteads, small ritual deposits, animal but no human burials and single human bone deposits. The spread of the farmsteads in the landscape combined with their appearance indicates a community where people were highly self-sufficient but shared a common culture. The rituals they performed confirm this social structure. I want to suggest that the people consciously chose anarchy as an organizing principle