pottery, cultivation of corn, handicraft industry

pottery

Handicraft industry, a branch of clay industry, which dealt with making pots. The relics of pottery were made of various materials and forms according to the traditions of different regions and ages, from the neolitic period till today. We can find the traces of the activity of medieval potters both in cities and villages. They made clay pots, stove tiles, wicks not only for the place where they lived, but also for their larger environment and ceramics played an important role in long distance trade as well. Byzantine, Austrian, Itlaian, Moravian and later Turkish and Chinese products also appeared in Hungary.

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cultivation of corn

Cerials like wheat, rye, barley and oat were already grown by the conquering Hungarians. This can be proved by archaeological findings and the spades, ploughs and short sickles of the Hungarians, which were different from those of other local people. In the Liddle Ages first the natural soil changing system was used, from the 14th century on soil changing rotational farming was generally used by Hungarian villeins. By this time quadrupled the amount of the sown corn. With the increase of the demands corn was cultivated on former waste land and moors. At the edge of villages there were scattered ploughlands,fields, grazing fields and woods in fixed size.

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handicraft industry

It is an industrial activity using hand tools and individual methods. The division of labour played a vey important role in its development. There were many artisans (e.g.: goldsmiths, locksmiths, potters) among the conquering Hungarians. They lived mainly in villages in the Middle Ages. Handicraft industry, however, appeared only in medieval towns.

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