The appearance of new technologies in Europe after the 11th century produced a variety of social consequences, both progressive
and problematical. For example, the heavy plow made it possible to farm new lands, particularly the rich, alluvial soils on the European plain, and this ability helps account for the northward shift of European agriculture in the Middle Ages. Among the social impacts of the employment of the heavy plow, one can refer to:A. Increase in production and wealth, created a bipolar society with very rich and very poor people. The gap between the rich and poor increased and later caused social turbulences.B. The possibility of farming in cold and heavy-soil lands in northern Europe caused a massive migration towards the north. As a result, local wars and formation of new city-states changed the political setting of Europe, mainly in Scandinavia.C. The need for more heavy plows had impact on iron production and manufacturing methods of the agricultural tools. To solve these practical problems, the first factories to produce agricultural tools appeared in Western Europe.D.Because the heavy plow and its traction team was expensive tool and individual peasant farmers were not able to own it, it brought collective ownership and patterns of communal agriculture and communal animal husbandry.
Because the heavy plow and its traction team was expensive tool and individual peasant farmers were not able to own it, it brought collective ownership and patterns of communal agriculture and communal animal husbandry.
The heavy plough required more energy to pull this resulted several families coming together to pool their oxen to form a team large and strong enough to pull the heavy plow. The resulting “ox-gangs” became an important social group.
