4 ms·

> But the average age of the buried adults grew by 11 years in the meantime. Was that progress or luck? It doesn't seem to me many things would chane in peasan

> But the average age of the buried adults grew by 11 years in the meantime. Was that progress or luck? It doesn't seem to me many things would chane in peasant's life.

cygx 6y ago
Who knows about this particular burial ground, but large chunks of Europe did go through a 'rough spot' (cities depopulating, total population declining, industries collapsing, ...) in late aniquity/the early middle ages that took centuries to recover from. Sadly, there's this unfortunate tendency to over-correct in the opposite direction when trying to clear up popular misconceptions...
pjc50 6y ago
> less war and more food
ivanhoe 6y ago
Life of peasants greatly improved in Western Europe after the 14th century due to plague killing half of the population, leaving to survivors more land and food and scarcity of work force. And then later in 15th century with the invention of printing the literacy and education became available to common people which again significantly influenced and improved their lives.
- southerntofu 6y ago
  Just nitpicking here, but I don't think "literacy and education became available to common people" in the 15th century. In fact, for quite some time after Gutenberg's printing press was invented (or reinvented, depending from what cultural angle you look at history) it was common practice for States and catholic Church to legally prevent people from printing stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_patent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_patent
  - ivanhoe 6y ago
    Depends on the country I guess, the Venetian Republic seems to had more than 150 presses by 1500, the most famous of publishers Aldus Manutius printing 30 thousands of inexpensive “pocket editions” books in just 5 years ("six titles a year for the next five years", at 1000 copies per edition) according to Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/publishing/The-medieval-book https://www.britannica.com/topic/publishing/The-medieval-boo...
    - southerntofu 6y ago
      Interesting! Thanks for sharing. I still would not say 30K books is "available to common people" (most of whom could not read), but i was definitely not aware Venice had such a policy so early in history.
inglor_cz 6y ago
Peace is a huge improvement in a peasant's life. With no more invaders coming across the fields, killing indiscriminately, trampling down wheat and rye, burning villages down and stealing your meagre reserves of food, you and your kids have much better chances to survive. Magyar (proto-Hungarian) raids of the early 10th century were pretty destructive in that corner of the world.

> But the average age of the buried adults grew by 11 years in the meantime. Was that progress or luck? It doesn't seem to me many things would chane in peasant's life.

cygx 6y ago

Who knows about this particular burial ground, but large chunks of Europe did go through a 'rough spot' (cities depopulating, total population declining, industries collapsing, ...) in late aniquity/the early middle ages that took centuries to recover from. Sadly, there's this unfortunate tendency to over-correct in the opposite direction when trying to clear up popular misconceptions...

pjc50 6y ago

> less war and more food

ivanhoe 6y ago

Life of peasants greatly improved in Western Europe after the 14th century due to plague killing half of the population, leaving to survivors more land and food and scarcity of work force. And then later in 15th century with the invention of printing the literacy and education became available to common people which again significantly influenced and improved their lives.

southerntofu 6y ago
Just nitpicking here, but I don't think "literacy and education became available to common people" in the 15th century. In fact, for quite some time after Gutenberg's printing press was invented (or reinvented, depending from what cultural angle you look at history) it was common practice for States and catholic Church to legally prevent people from printing stuff: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_patent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printing_patent
- ivanhoe 6y ago
  Depends on the country I guess, the Venetian Republic seems to had more than 150 presses by 1500, the most famous of publishers Aldus Manutius printing 30 thousands of inexpensive “pocket editions” books in just 5 years ("six titles a year for the next five years", at 1000 copies per edition) according to Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/topic/publishing/The-medieval-book https://www.britannica.com/topic/publishing/The-medieval-boo...
  - southerntofu 6y ago
    Interesting! Thanks for sharing. I still would not say 30K books is "available to common people" (most of whom could not read), but i was definitely not aware Venice had such a policy so early in history.

inglor_cz 6y ago

Peace is a huge improvement in a peasant's life. With no more invaders coming across the fields, killing indiscriminately, trampling down wheat and rye, burning villages down and stealing your meagre reserves of food, you and your kids have much better chances to survive. Magyar (proto-Hungarian) raids of the early 10th century were pretty destructive in that corner of the world.