Crops of the late Anglo-Saxon and Viking period

            In looking at the general agricultural products of the late Anglo-Saxon and early Viking period of England, it is important to remember that there was no set practice in action, different crops were in use in different regions, some crops were unpopular with certain social groups, a good example being Beans (St Jerome publicly decries the beans as ungodly because they cause flatulence), according to Anglo-Saxon texts, Leeks were considered bad for the digestion.

            In looking at some obvious examples of divergence from the norms of today, wheat crops show a distinct variance. The well known introduction of Emmer wheat before the Viking period, caused much confusion when it was discovered that Spelt wheat’s (a lower yield species), make a wide scale reappearance across the North and East of the country, this was originally attributed to social traditions from newcomers. Recent documentary integration with archaeology, has led to the support of the argument that both wheat’s were cropped together as they do not share the same types of blight or condition influenced growth faults, thus what affected one crop often improved the other. Not something we do today, but a good idea nevertheless.

            In looking at lists of crops, it is important to separate out into arable, typical domesticated, and wild food resources.

Arable food sources include;

Emmer Wheat              Spelt Wheat                        Barley                   Oats                      Leeks

Carrots (white/red/purple/black)                     Parsnips            Radishes (large white)

Pignuts             Burdock roots                Turnips                 Beans                   Peas

Chick Peas                 Lentils                              Weed Chess            Water Cress            Lettuce

Cabbage                        Kale                                  Beets                    Seaweed 

Fungi sources;

Mushrooms                       Truffles?               Beefsteak Fungus (fistulina hepaticea)

Wild resources;

Apples                         Pears                                Plums                    Cherries            Peaches

Quinces                        Figs                                   Medlars

Nuts;

Hazel                            Walnuts                Sweet Chestnuts                        Pine

Almonds                        Betel ?                              Acorns                  Beech mast

Domesticated animals;

Cattle (bas longifrons)                        Pigs (sus scrofa and sus scrofa pallustratis)            Hens

Geese               Ducks                   Goats                                Horse

Sheep (Brown Soay? Iron age vari-coloured, Roman White, Black face horned?)

Bee keeping for honey and wax

Wild Resources;

Deer (Red, Roe)            Hares                    Boar                     Bear                     Badgers?

Doves                          Pigeons                 Starlings            Sand Martins            Hawks

Pheasants                        Blackbirds            Magpies?            Partridge

Fishing Resources;

Eels                  Trout                   Bream                  Chubb                  Pike                      Crayfish

Salmon             Hake                    Mackerel            Cod                      Oysters                 Crabs

Mussels            Periwinkles            Cockles            Lobsters            Small Whales            Walrus

            Those items noted with a question mark are drawn from documentary evidence with questionable translation for the terms used. Physical evidence has shown that most of the domesticated animals although superficially resembling those of today, tended to be closer to the wild types of animal, with the result that they tended to be smaller on average than the current breeds. Animal husbandry of the period tended to be more simplistic in some respects, lacking veterinary support, but given the close proximity of the winter quarters of the cattle and sheep to the farmers, and the importance of keeping the winter food sources, and spring breeding stock healthy it seems unlikely that people of the period showed any sort of disregard for the health of their animals (up yours Hollywood). It is plain hunting was carried to some degree, but it is unlikely that it was used as more than a supplement, current evidence demonstrates that finds from wild food animals make up only twelve percent average of the food resource. Fishing comprised an average of twenty percent of animal resources, with some variation accorded by the environment. Thus although the popular opinion of the period is that people were virtually hunter gatherers, but the truth of the matter is that both Viking and Anglo-Saxon had a rich agricultural base, with a knowledge of food production which extended across a wide range of materials. Hollywood tends to represent the groups of these periods as being reliant on hunting, taking archaeological evidence drawn from middens of the period tends to indicate that even in hamlets in prime hunting areas, the level of wild animals in the food supplies, rarely exceeds ten percent, and never (to date) exceeds seventeen per cent. Only fishing stands out as a strong example of hunting over husbandry, the use of fishponds does occur especially around the monasteries of the time, but this is more of an example of controlled environment rather than selected breeding and rearing.