village dwelling and some far away. These strips he cultivated,
sowed with seed, and harvested for himself and his family. After
the year, they reverted to common ownership for grazing.

The plough used was heavy and made first of wood and later of
iron. It had a mould-board which caught the soil stirred by the
plough blade and threw it into a ridge. Other farm implements
were: coulters, which gave free passage to the plough by cutting
weeds and turf, picks, spades and shovels, reaping hooks and
scythes, and sledge-hammers and anvils. Forests were cleared to
provide more arable land.

The use of this open field system instead of compact enclosures
worked by individuals was necessary in primitive communities
which were farming only for their own subsistence. Each ox was
owned by a different man as was the plough. Strips of land for
agriculture were added from waste land as the community grew.

There were villages which had one or two market days in each
week. Cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry, calves, and rabbits were sold
there.



Flint was mined for arrowheads. People used bone and stone tools,
such as stone hammers, and then bronze and iron tools, weapons,
breast plates, and horse bits, which were forged by blacksmiths.
Weapons included bows and arrows, daggers, axes, and shields of
wood with bronze mountings. The warriors fought with chariots
drawn by two horses. The horse harnesses had bronze fittings. The