Which Way to Till This Field? The Cultural Selection of Surface Form in the Rise and Fall of Cultivation Ridges in Northwestern Europe

Abstract

This paper compares the tillage patterns of ridged and level fields, and suggests past incentives for their alternative selection within the agricultural history of northwestern Europe. Fieldwork in Ireland in 1994 and 1995 focused on traditional plow and spade competitions and systematic test plot experiments. Analyses compared the movements of body, tools, and soils in the field, the time absorbed, and the effects on field form, ecology, and yields. The motion studies revealed that the contrasting surfaces arise from alternative spatial patterns of cutting and turning soils in the field. Applying cultural adaptation theory, 1 ask why people would select one pattern over the other where both are available. Overall, the data demonstrate that ridging can bring clear ecological benefits in certain environments. However, where the soil requires tillage, common historical ridge types also absorb less labor per acre than level fields. In environments where ridge yields are comparable to level fields, the labor savings would have given ridging a competitive advantage, at least within preindustrial contexts. Regardless of any specific benefits, even where farmers once formed ridges for the majority of their crops, the Industrial Revolution altered both land tenure and technology and shifted preference to level fields.