Middle Ages
The first example that depicts the Middle Ages as a time of progress, innovation, and greatness is the three-field system’s development. The three-field system was a major agricultural innovation because only a third of the land would be left to rest at a time. Different crops would be planted depending on the season. Farming was organized in such a way that the fertility of land would be increased. It is fascinating how people during the Middle Ages understood the concept that the soil can only give back as much as put into it. Sowing was mostly done during spring and autumn, and no one crop was planted in the same field two years running because the farmers rotated the crops and would ensure that one field was left fallow. The three-field system allowed farmers to farm a variety of crops. During the middle ages, people began using heavy-wheeled devices to dig furrows that were drawn either by horses or oxen. These agricultural innovations led to an increased quantity and quantity of food production, leading to better living standards.
The second example is in regards to culture and society. University learning was established during the Middle Ages, where they “began as organizations of masters and students.” Different Universities specialized in different subjects but were mostly limited to very few fields of study such as medicine, canon law, civil law, and rhetoric. For instance, the University of Paris specialized in theology while the University of Montpellier specialized in medicine. Students would pay a master to lecture them since the masters and lectures dominated university classrooms. Lecturing was considered the best way to teach students. Most of what is practiced in Universities today is based on the developments during the Middle Ages.