Medieval documents distinguish several types of agricultural land, including forests (sylvis), fields (agris), meadows (pratis), and pastures (pascuis). Forests were essential for obtaining construction timber, but the common practice of gathering in them served as an excellent supplement to the diet with wild fruits, mushrooms, forest herbs, or, above all, honey obtained from forest beehives. Field cultivation significantly differed from modern standards; fertilization was sporadic, and better yields were ensured by crop rotation, initially in a two-field system, later transformed into a three-field system. In this system, the cultivated area was divided into three parts, one sown with winter grain, the second with spring grain, while the third part remained fallow, reserved for rest.

Among the cereals sown in medieval fields, we can identify the following species: rye, barley, oats, millet, and old varieties of wheat, mainly einkorn and emmer. Legumes were also cultivated, mainly peas and broad beans. Buckwheat was also known, as well as many species of vegetables cultivated today, including cabbage, onion, turnip, and cucumbers.

An interesting distinction is made between meadows and pastures. Meadows were designated for hay production, essential as feed during winter months. The haymaking period, according to medieval calendars, fell in the month of July. Initially, the hay was stacked, then stored in barns or granaries. Pastures, on the other hand, were usually selected in less accessible areas, such as periodically flooded lowlands or in highland or mountainous regions positioned so high that harvesting hay would be difficult or even impossible. Animals were driven to such places for the entire growing season and grazed semi-wild. It is worth mentioning that in such a system, not only goats, sheep, or cattle were grazed but also pigs. In the autumn season, animals were brought closer to human settlements into pens, and then, through selection, the main breeding stock for the next year was chosen, with the rest slaughtered for consumption. Referring again to medieval calendars, they indicate November as the main month for slaughtering animals, preparing meat supplies for the winter.

During winter, animals were typically kept close to residential buildings, often housed under one roof with their owners. This had several practical reasons. The bodies of animals and the manure accumulated beneath them provided additional heat sources. Moreover, animals kept indoors were protected not only from wild predators but also from other humans. Great care, especially for cattle, was necessary not only for herd renewal in the spring but also for access to milk and, consequently, dairy products made from it during the harsh winter months. Another group of animals directly raised on the farmstead were poultry; chickens, ducks, and geese provided not so much a source of meat but rather a regular supply of eggs. It was also a common practice to steal eggs from nests of wild birds.

At the Archaeological Reserve, we maintain an experimental flock of sheep breed called “wrzosówka” as a source of wool used in experiments with weaving, felting, and dyeing. We also have a flock of Green-legged Partridge hens, one of the oldest documented breeds of chickens. Additionally, we cultivate a small field using a three-field system without artificial fertilizers or pesticides, sowing and harvesting in accordance with the seasonal calendar.

Michał Antoniak