Défricher la terre et se l’approprier

Agrarian land claims and clearances in the eighth and ninth centuries, as documented in the charters of Abbeys Wissembourg, Lorsch, and Fulda, reveal a diverse and complex system with features distinct from later Central Middle Ages communities. This study reinterprets territorial and chronological distributions of evidence by analyzing landscape descriptions and agricultural practices, uncovering varied mechanisms of land appropriation across different forms of exploitation. The findings challenge conventional understandings of medieval agrarian systems, particularly in the social logic behind terms like 'stirpare,' suggesting a more nuanced and dynamic process than previously assumed.

José Larrea, J. (2019). Défricher la terre et se l’approprier. Vierteljahrschrift Für Sozial- Und Wirtschaftsgeschichte, 106(3), 288–328. https://doi.org/10.25162/vswg-2019-0008