Gibbs, Spike
A icle — Published Ve sion
Re iew o pe iodical li e a u e o 2022: (ii) 1100–1500
The Economic His o y Re iew
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
John Wiley & Sons
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Gibbs, Spike (2024) : Re iew o pe iodical li e a u e o 2022: (ii) 1100–1500, The
Economic His o y Re iew, ISSN 1468-0289, Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, Vol. 77, Iss. 1, pp. 335-346,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1111/eh .13315
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DOI: 10.1111/eh .13315
LITERATURE REVIEW
Re iew o pe iodical li e a u e o 2022:
(ii) 1100–1500
Spike Gibbs
Uni e si ä Mannheim
Co espondence
Spike Gibbs
Email: alex.spik[email p o ec ed]
The yea 2022 again saw a signi ican numbe o publica ions in la e medie al economic and social
his o y, including a bumpe six a icles in his jou nal which a leas pa ly co e ed his pe iod.
Poli ical s uc u es and hei economic impac s we e a pa icula ly popula opic. Angelucci,
Me aglia and Voig lände examine he de elopmen o sel -go e ning me chan owns in Eng-
land using a da ase o 555 bo oughs which exis ed be o e he Black Dea h. They demons a e ha
a combina ion o in ol emen in ade and being in oyal hands caused speci ic owns o seek
‘Fa m G an s’ (con e ing igh s o sel -go e nance including in ax collec ion and law en o ce-
men ) om he c own. They a gue his p ocess was igge ed by he Comme cial Re olu ion o
he wel h and hi een h cen u ies, in which owns sough mo e lexible ins i u ional a ange-
men s o handle comme ce. They u he show ha owns wi h Fa m G an s we e mo e likely
o be ep esen ed di ec ly in pa liamen , c ea ing a i uous e-en o cing ela ionship by which
u ban au onomy led o a s onge na ionally ep esen a i e body. This leads o hei wide a gu-
men ha his ela ionship helped c ea e s onge cons ain s on ule s in ea ly mode n England
han elsewhe e in Eu ope. Lan schne examines ci y s a es ac oss he Medi e anean wo ld, com-
pa ing Ch is ian and Islamic egions. He challenges p e ious assessmen s ha ha e seen I alian
ci y- epublics as a s age in he de elopmen o wes e n-Eu opean democ acy and as impe ec
e sions o mode n s a es. Ins ead, he a gues ha ci y s a es h i ed in a eas o poli ical agmen-
a ion and a e bes seen as ‘b i le egimes’ in which ac o s including poli ical o ganisa ions and
ci y-based lo ds, o en in alliance wi h ex e nal agen s ou side he ci y, ied o con ol.
Two a icles ocused speci ically on Tuscan ci y leagues. Ca e o calls o a deepe unde -
s anding o hese leagues beyond hei mili a y unc ion in ma shalling collec i e a mies. He
highligh s hei signi ican economic ole, h ough c ea ing a i - ee zones among pa icipan s
and cancelling ep isals be ween membe s (whe e a whole ci y would be held esponsible o he
This is an open access a icle unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons A ibu ion-NonComme cial-NoDe i s License, which pe mi s
use and dis ibu ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed, he use is non-comme cial and no modi ica ions o
adap a ions a e made.
© 2024 The Au ho s. The Economic His o y Re iew published by John Wiley & Sons L d on behal o Economic His o y Socie y.
Econ. His . Re . 2024;77:335–346. wileyonlinelib a y.com/jou nal/eh 335
336 LITERATURE REVIEW
audulen beha iou o bad ac o s om ha ci y). Ca e o also a gues ha he sha e o oops
p o ided by each ci y in a league can ac as a p oxy o i s ela i e weal h, allowing o c oss-ci y
compa isons which a e ha d o make using o he sou ces. Ma occio looks a he ole o leagues
as collec i e o ganisa ions o espond o he h ea o bands o me cena ies in he la e ou een h
cen u y. While p e ious schola ship la gely based on ch onicles has p esen ed leagues as col-
lapsing due o i al ies be ween membe ci ies, he a gues ha leagues we e o en e ec i e in
b eaking apa me cena y companies by o ganising collec i ely aised b ibes o speci ic cap ains
and ma shalling mili a y o ces o sho pe iods.
O he s udies concen a ed on he openness o poli ical s uc u es. Schulz examines he ole o
he medie al wes e n Chu ch in c ea ing democ a ic pa icipa o y ins i u ions h ough dissol -
ing clan-based kin ne wo ks. He combines in o ma ion on whe he a se o 339 ci ies in Eu ope,
he Middle Eas and No h A ica had a commune-based go e nmen in any cen u y, wi h da a
on he numbe o hal -decades in which each ci y was wi hin 100-km o a bishop ic ( o measu e
chu ch exposu e). He demons a es a posi i e ela ionship be ween chu ch exposu e gene ally,
and exposu e o ex ended ma iage p ohibi ions speci ically, and commune o ma ion, suppo -
ing his wide a gumen ha weak kin ne wo ks a e signi ican o economic de elopmen . Ma ín
Rome a explo es he sindaca o, a p ocedu e by which indi iduals a he end o hei e ms in
poli ical o ice in I alian communes we e subjec o an audi ha included a o mal inqui y and
allowed o all ci izens o b ing unp omp ed claims agains ex-o icials. Taking Sienna as a case
s udy, she a gues ha p e ious in e p e a ions ha e been oo quick o dismiss he sindaca o as
emp y he o ic. Ins ead, she demons a es ha in 1340 his p ocedu e in ol ed a subs an ial num-
be o indi iduals om non-eli e g oups. While sindaca i o he la e ou een h cen u y became
mo e o malised, she a gues ha his does no necessa ily e lec he exclusion o popula g oups,
who ins ead sough sa is ac ion in he al e na i e o um o a cou o appeal. Gibbs examines p e-
sen men ju ies in English mano ial cou s be ween 1310 and 1600, o see whe he hese we e
cha ac e ised by wide pa icipa ion o domina ed by cliques o eli es. Th ough applying ou di -
e en measu es o pa icipa ion o h ee case-s udy mano s, he shows ha ju ies a e he Black
Dea h we e open in ha a la ge p opo ion o he popula ion se ed and he e was con inuous
u no e in panels, bu closed in ha a subse o indi iduals se ed a disp opo iona e numbe o
imes. The esul s also challenge any uni o m pa e n owa ds inc easing es ic ion in o icehold-
ing in he ea ly mode n e a, as a gued in much o he p e-exis ing his o iog aphy, ins ead showing
a a iable se o ends.
Tu ning o u ban his o y, Gel ne explo es he ole o campa i (o icials appoin ed by owns
o police u al hin e lands) in Piedmon be ween 1250 and 1500. Combining no ma i e sou ces
wi h egis e s eco ding he wo k o he campa i in p ac ice, he demons a es how ci ies used
hese o icials o ensu e local ag icul u e was p oduc i e h ough main aining in as uc u e and
p e en ing damage, so ci ies did no ha e o ely on long-dis ance ade. Howe e , u al dwelle s
we e no passi e in esponse o his expansion o u ban au ho i y, challenging in e p e a ions o
u ban expansion which ake a cen e-pe iphe y app oach. Szende examines he ac o s behind
he c ea ion o small owns in Hunga y be ween 1301 and 1387. She highligh s he signi ican ole
played by he in e sec ion o he in e es s o mona chs and a is oc a s in his p ocess, as e en
hough hese owns we e c ea ed on he p i a e es a es o landlo ds, he c own was i al in secu -
ing hei p i ileges including he igh o hold annual ai s. Maleszka and Czaja use a compa a i e
app oach o look a he o ma ion o u ban ne wo ks in p ocesses o colonisa ion. Th ough case
s udies o Anglo-No man Mea h and he Teu onic O de ’s Kulme land (in his o ic P ussia), hey
show how colonise s ini ially si ed cas les and se lemen s a p e-exis ing cen al places. Howe e ,
LITERATURE REVIEW 337
in he la e hi een h and ou een h cen u ies, he pa icula isa ion o he unc ions o speci ic
cen al places was la gely based on he economic po en ial o hei loca ions.
O he con ibu ions examined in e nal u ban geog aphies. Zane i and Gel ne use a GIS
da ase o examine municipal public heal h policies in Bologna be ween 1287 and 1383. Analysing
3,540 nuisance o ences eco ded in he egis e s o ango o icials, who we e esponsible o
main aining public ameni ies, hey demons a e ha au ho i ies we e engaged in ‘heal hscaping’
acco ding o Galenic medical p inciples. Mo eo e , hei e o s we e dynamic, esponding o
changes in popula ion and u ban mo phology, and shi ing om ma ke and was e managemen
iola ions o policing comme ce and mo e pe iphe al a eas. Coomans akes a ma e ial app oach
o unde s and social p ac ices be ween neighbou s in i e ci ies in he Low Coun ies du ing
he long i een h cen u y. She a gues ha ne wo ks o neighbou s wo ked oge he o p oduce
wha con empo a ies pe cei ed o be a ‘good’ li ing en i onmen , ma ked by social ha mony and
well- unc ioning ma e ial s uc u es. This had wide ami ica ions o he way u ban poli ical
s uc u es ope a ed, showing how g oups o neighbou s ac ed as a link be ween go e nmen s
and households, p o iding such g oups wi h signi ican local au onomy.
Ra en con ibu ed wo a icles explo ing wool smuggling du ing he eign o Edwa d III. In
his jou nal, he demons a es he signi icance o he illici ade o wool as an in o mal economic
sec o , showing ha smuggling occu ed bo h along less egula ed pa s o England’s coas line
and h ough weaknesses which allowed collusion be ween me chan s and o icials in egula ed
cus oms po s. He a gues ha smuggling was d i en by he inc easing cos s o ade caused by high
le els o indi ec axa ion, emba gos on expo s due o wa a e and he di icul y o ha ing enough
liquidi y o pay axes due o he sca ci y o coinage. He u he a gues o a po en ial change in
c own policy a e 1343, as he oyal go e nmen a emp ed o build a ‘communi y o in e es ’ wi h
pa s o he me can ile eli e by helping hem monopolise he wool ade h ough Calais. In Law
and His o y Re iew,Ra en conside s he legal mechanisms h ough which wool smuggling was
p osecu ed. He a gues ha he c own s uggled o secu e he suppo o local eli es o p e en his
illici ade as he hea y bu dens placed on wool expo s h ough axa ion ja ed wi h he ‘mo al
economy’ o oyal economic pa e nalism held by English socie y. Mo e widely, his shows he
limi s o he g ow h o s a e capaci y in he ou een h cen u y and how subjec s could nego ia e
he de elopmen o cen al go e nance.
An insigh in o medie al so e eign deb is p o ided by de la To e Gonzalo’s in es iga ion in o
he issue o annui ies by he Kingdom o A agon be ween 1376 and 1436. By analysing a se o
in en o ies o deb con ac s eco ded in la e six een h-cen u y documen s, she in es iga es he
ea ly o ma ion o so e eign deb om he la e ou een h cen u y in a ch onological su ey. She
demons a es how he A agonese c own was able bo ow signi ican ly h ough Censales,a o m
o annui y, which we e issued by he Dipu ación, a ep esen a i e poli ical body. This sys em was
e ec i e, allowing ule s o bo ow sums agains which hey only paid annual in e es , while
p o iding in es o s wi h a eliable a e o e u n on hei capi al.
Inequali y was a subs an ial opic o publica ions in 2022. Al ani b ings oge he se e al s udies
o examine he impac o epidemics on inequali y h oughou he p e-indus ial e a. He shows ha
he Black Dea h had a unique e ec h ough i s ole in signi ican ly educing inequali y unlike
la e epidemics. Al ani a gues ha his is due in pa o changes in ins i u ional amewo ks. While
he Black Dea h had a Mal husian e ec in aising eal wages and inc easing access o land in a
sys em o pa ible inhe i ance, by he se en een h cen u y eli es had lea n o adap o plague,
c ea ing inhe i ance sys ems which a oided agmen a ion o pa imonies, and his combined
wi h alls in labou demand which led o li le inc ease in eal wages. He also highligh s ha he
Black Dea h was likely a mo e ‘ i uous’ example o pandemic- ela ed inequali y educ ion as
338 LITERATURE REVIEW
mo ali y seemingly did no di e much by socio-economic s a us, while o he epidemics ended
only o educe inequali y empo a ily due o g ea e mo ali y among he poo . Taking a long iew
o inequali y in Ge many be ween c.1300 and c.1850, Al ani, Gie ok and Scha ell a simila s o y
o he impac o he Black Dea h educing inequali y. D awing on a newly cons uc ed da ase
o gini-coe icien s c ea ed using p ope y ax egis e s om 29 ci ies and 76 u al communi ies,
hey demons a e ha he Plague had a long- e m impac in educing inequali y o a ound a
cen u y, bu ha inequali y began o inc ease again a e 1450. Al ani and Mon e o also p oduce
new weal h inequali y es ima es o England in he ea ly ou een h cen u y and ea ly six een h
cen u y using axa ion da a om a sample o 17 coun ies and London. To o e come he issue
o he weal h h eshold equi ed o be assessed o axa ion paymen s, which means ha only a
p opo ion o he weal h dis ibu ion is obse ed, hey de elop an es ima ion echnique o p edic
he dis ibu ion o e he whole popula ion. While hey ind only a modes inc ease in inequali y a
he na ional le el, decomposing his e eals ha inequali y be ween egions g ew om accoun ing
o 4.5 pe cen o o al inequali y in 1327–32, o accoun ing o 38 pe cen in 1524–5, showing he
deep oo s o he egional inequali y p esen in England oday.
Concen a ing on he ole o associa i e o ganisa ions such as guilds, cha i able ounda ions,
commons and communi ies, an Ba el’s con ibu ion in es iga es he mechanisms by which
inequali y was cons ained in p e-indus ial Eu ope. He highligh s ha while such o ganisa ions
we e undoub edly exclusi e and had a middle-class membe ship p o ile, hey bo h p o ec ed
he weal h o hei membe s om p eda o y eli es and enhanced equali y be ween hei mem-
be s h ough capping weal h owne ship, ela i ely equal ax dis ibu ion and p o iding b oad
access o communal esou ces. This inc eased le els o equali y in he agg ega e, leading an
Ba el o conclude ha u u e esea ch should be ca e ul no o gene alise indings abou inequal-
i y om he mos ma ke -domina ed socie ies in Eu ope o o he egions. Coope p o ides a
mo e mic o s udy o po e y in London du ing he 1190s. U ilising a case s udy o William i z
Osbe , a Londone who c i icised he ea men o he poo , Coope highligh s he ch onicle and
a chaeological e idence demons a ing he g ea ex en o u ban po e y in his decade. He also
shows how eli es eac ed h ough he ounda ion o cha i able ins i u ions and in oduc ion o
mo e p og essi e o ms o axa ion, bu also he use o iolence as seen in William’s e en ual
execu ion.
The Black Dea h con inues o cap u e he a en ion o schola s. In a wide- anging summa y o
he exis ing schola ship, Jedwab, Johnson and Koyama p o ide a de ailed e iew o a gumen s
abou he sp ead and economic impac s o he Plague. While i is impossible o summa ise all
hei poin s he e, hey gene ally a gue ha he Black Dea h had a e y signi ican impac on
Eu opean economic de elopmen (and egional di e ences wi hin his) bu highligh ha u u e
esea ch could use ully look in mo e de ail a he e ec s o he Plague on u al economies, he
decline o se dom, and de elopmen s in s a e capaci y be o e 1500. P ados de la Escosu a and
Rod íguez-Caballe o also a gue o he Plague’s signi icance in a s udy o he o igins o mode n
economic g ow h in Eu ope. By aking a ‘long memo y’ app oach o iden i y s uc u al b eaks
in GDP pe capi a be ween c.1300 and 2019, hey iden i y he Black Dea h, along wi h he Wo ld
Wa s, as he mos pe sis en b eaks. Howe e , he Plague’s impac di e ed be ween a eas; while
in mos o Eu ope he impac was Mal husian, his was no ue in Spain and Sweden, a guably
because hese we e on ie economies wi h sca ce popula ion and plen i ul na u al esou ces.
A he egional le el, hey con end ha in he No h Sea a ea slow bu pe sis en inc eases in
pe capi a income and popula ion concu en ly e eal ha mode n economic g ow h began in
he la e middle ages, suppo ing an ea ly da e o he o igins o he G ea Di e gence. In a u -
he a icle, P ados de la Escosu a, Al a ez-Nogal and San iago-Caba ello con i m some o hese
LITERATURE REVIEW 339
indings h ough econs uc ing eal GDP pe head o Spain be ween 1277 and 1850. Al hough
hey obse e s agna ion in he long- un, sho - e m pa e ns do no e lec a Mal husian economy.
Ins ead, pe iods o Smi hian g ow h whe e popula ion and ou pu pe head g ew simul aneously
occu ed up o he Black Dea h and in he la e i een h and six een h cen u ies, while a pe iod o
sh inking ook place in he la e ou een h cen u y.
G een and Sla in w o e a icles in esponse o he la e ’s 2021 a icle loca ing he o igins o
he second plague ou b eak o he ea ly 1360s in Ge many. G een suppo s Sla in’s iden i ica ion
o a plague ese oi in cen al Eu ope bu a gues ha he same gene ic lineage o Plague also
exploi ed ade ou es be ween he Golden Ho de and Hansea ic League, meaning ha he e we e
o he ese oi s in eas e n Eu asia, a he han subsequen ou b eaks emana ing om cen al
Eu ope. Mo eo e , she sugges s ha he ‘bi h’ o wo plague lineages which caused he 1360s and
la e ou b eaks o he disease occu ed be o e 1347, a he han eme ging sequen ially in Eu ope.
G een’s a icle has wide calls o esea che s o conside how hey inco po a e epidemiological
e idence in o hei a gumen s, especially as his ield con inues o gene a e new da a, and o ake a
global app oach o plague s udies. Sla in’s esponse challenges G een’s c i iques. He a gues ha
paleogene ic e idence e u es he exis ence o a plague ese oi which could ha e caused he
second ou b eak in eas e n Eu asia, ha ade be ween he Golden Ho de and Hansea ic League
was limi ed in he ele an pe iod, ha documen a y and scien i ic e idence does no suppo
he sp eading o wo plague lineages concu en ly, and ha a new s udy o plague genomes om
No h Ky gys an has con i med ha he bi h o he wo plague lineages could no ha e occu ed
be o e he ini ial ou b eak o he Black Dea h. Guzowski in es iga es he deba e o e whe he he
Black Dea h impac ed he Kingdom o Poland. In es iga ing wide- anging e idence, he sugges s
ha he e is nei he di ec e idence o a popula ion decline no any signs o he economic dislo-
ca ion he Plague is a gued o ha e caused in wes e n Eu ope, wi h Poland ins ead expe iencing
a pe iod o economic de elopmen unde he policies o King Casimi . This leads him o a gue
ha u u e in es iga ions in o he Black Dea h should accoun o local ac o s in explaining he
sp ead and scale o he disease.
The impac o lo dship on medie al socie ies saw h ee con ibu ions. Ca occi ocuses on de el-
oping an unde s anding o wha he e ms he ‘pe asi eness’ o lo dship, namely he deg ee o
which lo ds shaped he daily li es o hei dependen s, using examples om I aly and F ance. He
highligh s ha his concep is dis inc om he powe ulness o lo ds, as many lo ds who uled
la ge e i o ies had li le di ec in luence on he li es o hei subjec s, while many mino lo ds
in e ened hea ily in he condi ions o he peasan y dwelling on hei lands. He a gues ha his
pe asi eness was made possible by ins umen s beyond simply iolence, including holding la ge
di ec ly managed lands, equi ing mili a y se ice, con olling ce ain esou ces and being able
o in e ene a key s ages in subjec s’ li e cycles, pa icula ly highligh ing he ole o con ol o e
women’s bodies. Cla idge and Gibbs examine lo d- enan ela ions h ough he p ism o he ‘s ay
sys em’ used o manage wande ing li es ock in England be ween 1274 and 1453. Using a sample o
1,781 mano ial cou sessions, hey demons a e ha his sys em p e en ed li es ock om damag-
ing c ops bu also p o ec ed he p ope y igh s o owne s o hese los animals h ough p o iding a
sys em by which hey we e ad e ised and could be e ie ed. By compa ing he cos s o main ain-
ing ho ses agains hei alue in a coun e ac ual s udy, hey demons a e ha i was impossible
o lo ds o ha e meaning ully p o i ed om his ace o lo dship. This leads o hei wide con-
clusion ha he managemen o s ays suppo s a e isionis pe spec i e on lo d- enan ela ions
which ocuses on how hese pa ies could coope a e o achie e mu ual bene i s. G aham-Goe -
ing’s a icle swi ches he ocus on o how lo ds in e ac ed wi h he c own ia a s udy o Cha les
VI’s oyal p og ess h ough Languedoc in 1389–90. By mapping hei home loca ions, she a gues
340 LITERATURE REVIEW
ha local lo ds we e ac i e pa icipan s in pe o ming homage o he king, making indi idually
calcula ed decisions abou whe he o mee he king a a nea by local cen e o a la ge ga he ing
a Toulouse. She also shows ha many indi iduals chose o pe o m he ce emony in pe son wi h
he king, which di e s om he la e pe iod in which he ole was aken by he king’s ep esen-
a i e and many lo ds we e ins ead ep esen ed by a p oxy. G aham-Goe ing hus highligh s he
dynamic ole o local lo ds in c ea ing ecip ocal bonds as pa o coope a i e s uc u es in la e
medie al go e nance.
En i onmen al and ag icul u al his o y emain cen al o he ield. Moo e and Bedna ski exam-
ine how wa e managemen changed in Sussex in esponse o inc easing s o m equency and
consequen looding o ag icul u al land in he la e middle ages. They ocus on a case s udy o he
eco d o a 1396 oyal commission in o looding a Pe ensey, which shows he ension be ween
local landowne s’ cus oms su ounding wa e managemen , and he aim o oyal agen s o c ea e
new schemes o p e en inunda ion. They a gue ha his documen e lec s a wide shi away
om local o oyal au ho i y o e aqua ic in as uc u e, which was accompanied by a ansi ion
om a eliance on o al cus om o w i en s a u es, and led o a decline in oyal commissions su -
ounding his issue as hese became mo e p e-emp i e and s a egic. Aus in, Bezan and Ba ke ’s
in es iga ion in o Abbey Wood, a o es sou h o he Cis e cian monas e y o S a a Flo ida (Wales)
uses a mul i-disciplina y app oach o in es iga e he si e’s medie al his o y o which ew docu-
men a y eco ds su i e. They ind ha he monks likely plan ed his woodland soon a e he
monas e y’s ounda ion in 1184 and engaged in close managemen o he o es o se e al eco-
nomic unc ions. O e all, hey a gue ha he his o y o Abbey Wood challenges gene alisa ions
abou Cis e cian land managemen p ac ices, showing ha monas ic es a es engaged in u u e
planning by con e ing a able o woodland and wo ked wi h indigenous communi ies o main ain
local economies. Lang on examines he legal and economic s a us o e , he ege a ion equi ed
o main ain dee in o es s held by he c own and o he landlo ds. He se s ou he complex se
o egula ions su ounding his esou ce which had signi ican economic alue in housebuilding,
hedge making, and as uel and odde .
Ma ge s examines he ole o he Weald (sou h-eas England) in mas pannage, whe e pigs
would be u ned ou on woodland o g aze be ween Augus and No embe /Decembe . He a gues
o a decline in his p ac ice a e he ea ly medie al e a, as seen h ough a all in he p opo ion o
pig emains in bone assemblages da ing om 1066 o 1348, al hough he p opo ion did inc ease
again in la e assemblages. Ma ge s sugges s his can be a ibu ed o a shi away om pe sonal
anshumance (whe e peasan s would ake hei pigs la ge dis ances o pas u e be o e b inging
hem home o slaugh e ) o impe sonal anshumance unde seigno ial con ol, ollowed by a
ise o mo e seden a y o ms o pig-keeping a e he Black Dea h. Tu ning o a able cul i a ion,
an Gils and Kasielke use ai bo ne LiDAR (ligh de ec ion and anging) image y o s udy he
eme gence o idge-and- u ow ploughing in he cen al eas e n Ne he lands and no hwes e n
Wes phalia. They ind ha idge-and- u ow ploughing was adop ed om a leas he la e middle
ages and s ip a ming and idge-and- u ow we e uni e sally p ac iced oge he un il he ea ly
nine een h cen u y.
F anklin-Lyons and Kellehe seek o expand his o ical knowledge o amines by b inging in
he wes e n Medi e anean expe ience. They ind ha amines su e ed by Ba celona in he 1330s
and 1370s we e pa o he g ea e shi in ‘secula clima e’ (clima ic changes in he medium
un) in he ea ly ou een h cen u y combined wi h a s ong cul u al p e e ence o ce ain
g ains which simila ly explain why amines occu ed in no he n Eu ope. Howe e , hey also
s ess he impo ance o con lic s which in e up ed he egional ade ne wo ks ha Ba celona
elied upon o impo oods u s. This leads he au ho s o emphasise a wide his o iog aphical
LITERATURE REVIEW 341
poin ha esea che s should conside bo h s uc u es and con ingency in explaining his o ical
c ises. Yehuda, B ons ein and S e n combine his o ical and a chaeological e idence o econs uc
F ankish b ead p oduc ion in he Le an du ing he wel h and hi een h cen u ies. They ind
ha he F anks inno a ed baking o ens h ough he in oduc ion o lues and si ing o ens in
indoo loca ions, echniques hey likely bo owed om Byzan ine monas e ies and A abic b ick
o ens, and in en ed a double-chambe ed o en o p oduce mo e b ead as e and wi h less uel in
a mili a is ic en i onmen whe e sieges we e common. Howe e , in o he ways b ead p oduc ion
was highly conse a i e, con inuing o p oduce dome shaped b ead ( a he han la b eads), likely
e ealing a desi e o main ain sepa a e Eu opean adi ions.
Peasan s emained an impo an subjec o la e medie al his o ians. In a special issue o Con i-
nui y and Change, con ibu ions examined he ways commons allowed peasan s o be esilien in
he ace o unce ain y. In oducing he issue, Soens and De Keyze challenge simplis ic analyses
o commons as uni e sally ei he suppo ing esilience o c ea ing ulne abili y among peas-
an communi ies. Ins ead, hey d aw a en ion o he ac ha only in peasan socie ies whe e
commons we e inclusi e, lexible and edis ibu i e and whe e peasan s had enough ba gain-
ing powe o manage commons di ec ly, did his ype o esou ce suppo esilience. While wo
o he issue’s con ibu ions ocus on pos -medie al con ex s, De Keyze and Van Onacke ake
a long iew on he Campine egion o Belgium om 1350 o 1845. They ind ha peasan s in
his egion we e highly esilien in he ace o long- e m haza ds and sudden shocks due o h ee
speci ic condi ions. Fi s ly, hey combined s ong p ope y claims on hei es a es wi h common
pool esou ces, gi ing hem access o ghos ac es; secondly, hey combined mixed a ming wi h
o he ac i i ies wi hou specialising o elying on commodi y ma ke s; and hi dly hey emained
commi ed o p o iding poo elie . These s eng hs can be seen in he ligh ouch o he la e
medie al c isis on he Campine egion, wi h no e idence o long- e m popula ion decline, aban-
donmen o ag icul u al land, o alls in sheep numbe s. Dye examines he way ha peasan s
could o m pa ne ships o pu sue mu ually bene icial economic goals in la e medie al England.
He sugges s ha pa ne ships demons a e how peasan s could o m associa ions based on p o-
duc ion a he han jus g oupings along kinship o illage lines, mi o ing he kind o con ac s
ound be ween me chan s. To demons a e he exis ence o pa ne ships, he combines an a ay o
e idence, including examples o sha ed landholding, employmen in eams, and li iga ion show-
ing how local cou s we e used o make peace be ween con lic ing o me pa ne s. He u he
specula es ha he e may ha e been an inc ease in pa ne ships in he 1370s due o he changed
economic ci cums ances a e he Black Dea h and he p oblem o a sho age o cash.
Comme cial ac i i ies and economic s a egies we e also he subjec o publica ions by God-
da d, Nakaya and Dince . Godda d acks changes in he le el o ‘business con idence’ (a measu e
o he op imism o pessimism manage s eel abou hei o ganisa ion’s comme cial p ospec s)
amongs English me chan s be ween 1353 and 1532. To achie e his, he uses da a on high- alue
lending con ained in a sample o 9,989 s aple deb ce i ica es, a guing ha demand and supply
o c edi was less when me chan s bo h pe cei ed ew business oppo uni ies and a ioned c edi .
He se s ou a pa e n o high business con idence in he la e ou een h cen u y, a nadi o e
he ea ly i een h cen u y, and hen eco e y in he la e i een h and ea ly six een h cen u y,
a guing ha hese changes be e e lec local comme cial knowledge a ound consume demand
han he impac o adi ional economic ‘p ime mo e s’ like he Black Dea h o la e medie al bul-
lion amine. Nakaya explo es he c edi ac i i y o Iacopo de Coluccino, a doc o li ing in Lucca,
be ween 1373 and 1416. His s udy is based on a memo andum book kep by Coluccino, which
allows him an unusual insigh in o non-p o essional c edi ne wo ks. This e eals he low alue
o many ansac ions, he lack o eliance on no a ies, and he pe sonal na u e o c edi , wi h mos
342 LITERATURE REVIEW
loans being made ei he o ellow ci izens who we e likely pe sonal acquain ances o o enan s o
Coluccino’s lands. Nakaya also shows ha while he did use legal emedies o pu sue sol en c ed-
i o s, Coluccino p ac iced o bea ance when deb s we e owed by s uggling enan s, occasionally
suppo ing hem wi h u he c edi in a way ha shows he coope a i e na u e o his lending.
Dince s udies he weal h-accumula ion s a egies o one Sy ian-o igin amily ( he Aude hs) and
one G eek-o igin amily ( he Podoca os) in i een h-cen u y Cyp us using e idence d awn om
wills. She ocuses on how hese amilies p ospe ed in a pe iod o poli ical ins abili y h ough main-
aining alliances wi h i al ac ions and he Vene ian commune as an ex e nal au ho i y, in es ing
in p oduc s like camle s which we e subjec o s ong demand om he island’s Mamluk o e -
lo ds, mo ing hei capi al o o sho e I alian banks, and secu ing in luen ial ma iage alliances.
She concludes ha while mos o hese s a egies we e ypical o la e medie al Medi e anean
socie y, hey we e also shaped by he excep ional poli ical si ua ion and eligious di e si y ound
in Cyp us.
The dynamics o ma ke s na u ally emains a he cen e o many s udies. Pe acca examines
he g ow h o ai s allowing oll- ee ade in he I alian Mezzogio no du ing he hi een h and
ou een h cen u ies. She inds ha oyal policies gene ally p omo ed he expansion o ade ne -
wo ks, demons a ing he economic de elopmen o sou he n I aly du ing his pe iod as local
ag icul u alis s became mo e o ien a ed owa ds p oducing a su plus o an in e egional ma ke .
Comuzzi p o ides a s udy o he o ma ion o a new c a guild on he ma ke o a isanal aining
in Cas elló d’Empú ies (Ca alonia) be ween 1260 and 1310. Th ough a s udy o 378 employmen
ag eemen s and business pa ne ships eco ded in no a ial egis e s, she shows ha he es ab-
lishmen o a c a guild o clo h- inishe s led o a s anda disa ion in he e ms o app en iceship
con ac s compa ed o he mo e lexible p e-guild sys em. She a gues ha he mo e o moni o
aining in he c a was no p ima ily o p e en oppo unism bu ins ead o enhance he powe o
a isan aine s h ough ca elisa ion, enabling hem o o e aining on mo e a ou able e ms
o hemsel es han an un egula ed ma ke allowed. Tu ning o commodi ies, Whelan p o ides
he i s examina ion o he ade o mead by Hansea ic me chan s in he la e medie al Bal ic. He
highligh s he signi ican cul u al s a us associa ed wi h mead (especially ha p oduced in Riga),
pa ly due o he high cos o honey which was needed o p oduce i . This led mead o play an
impo an ole as a gi in diplomacy and a d ink o o e high s a us isi o s wi hin he Bal ic
egion.
Li ing s anda ds we e explo ed by wo a icles aking di e en app oaches. Ho ell, Humph ies
and Weisdo challenge adi ional es ima es o amily income in England which ha e elied on a
male-b eadwinne household. They model how income and expendi u e a ied ac oss a ‘ ypical’
amily’s li e cycle o e six s ages, including da a abou ea nings o all amily membe s and allow-
ing amilies o smoo h consump ion by sa ing du ing s ages o su plus. Thei key indings ( o he
medie al e a) a e ha amilies s uggled be o e c.1400, meaning ha hei child en we e equi ed
o pe o m signi ican amoun s o labou o suppo a espec able s anda d o li ing, bu du ing
he so-called ‘Golden Age o Labou ’ in he i een h cen u y amily incomes imp o ed, al hough
likely no o he ex en ha p e ious s udies ha e a gued. Almena Fe nández and Belengue
González examine changes in he spa ial o ganisa ion o Valencian housing be ween 1280 and
1450. Using in o ma ion abou he dis ibu ion o ooms o 336 dwellings eco ded in p oba e
in en o ies, hey ind a shi om he 1370s onwa ds away om a simplis ic hall-chambe model
o mo e complexi y wi h he addi ion sequen ially o ki chens, dining ooms and li ing ooms o
houses. They also demons a e his was la gely an u ban- and eli e-led change, wi h new ooms
il e ing down o common ownsmen and some u al a eas.
