07-28-2009, 10:10 AM
Was life in Sub -Roman Britain a subsistence existance??? I find that hard to accept as from what I understand farming practices changed little in the periods before, during and after the 5th centrury.
I am still to be convinced of this horse & cattle drought ... what is the expense of having cattle & horses? Feed? The Massai in Africa manage to run cattle on scrubland and it appears that a man owning 50 cattle is seen as reasonable .. thats 50 not 5 :?
We should not sell the post roman Brits short on animal husbandry. I am sure it was the developement of the feudal system which kept the subjects down by denying rights to land usage and therefore stock rather than the ability to run a herd. No acces to land no point in having animals that require grazing.
As a hold over from those times in the UK there are still plots of "common" land where locals have rights to graze ... the "wild" ponies of the new forest are all owned by somone ... they have a mass round up once a year I believe so they can mark all the foals.
I am still to be convinced of this horse & cattle drought ... what is the expense of having cattle & horses? Feed? The Massai in Africa manage to run cattle on scrubland and it appears that a man owning 50 cattle is seen as reasonable .. thats 50 not 5 :?
We should not sell the post roman Brits short on animal husbandry. I am sure it was the developement of the feudal system which kept the subjects down by denying rights to land usage and therefore stock rather than the ability to run a herd. No acces to land no point in having animals that require grazing.
As a hold over from those times in the UK there are still plots of "common" land where locals have rights to graze ... the "wild" ponies of the new forest are all owned by somone ... they have a mass round up once a year I believe so they can mark all the foals.
Conal Moran
Do or do not, there is no try!
Yoda
Do or do not, there is no try!
Yoda
