ABSENT-MINDED LANDLORDS AND INNOVATING PEASANTS? THE PRESS IN AFRICA AND THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
In: Late Antique ArchaeologySearch for other papers by Tamara Lewit in
Current site
Google Scholar
The screw mechanism for wine and oil presses was widely applied in the eastern Mediterranean only in Late Antiquity, about half a millennium after its invention. This occurred in relation to a great intensification of commercial production in this region, including the bringing into cultivation of marginal land and the occupation of new areas. However, why was a screw mechanism not used in other important export regions, such as North Africa? Case studies of settlement patterns in a number of regions suggest that the absentee landlords of large estates seem to have been less inclined to adopt changed technology, whereas resident owners—whether of large or small estates—living close to their land, and directly involved in the processes of production, may have been more likely to do so. Among the many factors at play—technical, geographic, cultural, chronological, environmental, and commercial—the relationship of the landowner to his land may have played an important role in the diffusion of technology.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 252 | 64 | 4 |
| Full Text Views | 59 | 3 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 77 | 10 | 0 |
ABSENT-MINDED LANDLORDS AND INNOVATING PEASANTS? THE PRESS IN AFRICA AND THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
In: Late Antique ArchaeologySearch for other papers by Tamara Lewit in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
The screw mechanism for wine and oil presses was widely applied in the eastern Mediterranean only in Late Antiquity, about half a millennium after its invention. This occurred in relation to a great intensification of commercial production in this region, including the bringing into cultivation of marginal land and the occupation of new areas. However, why was a screw mechanism not used in other important export regions, such as North Africa? Case studies of settlement patterns in a number of regions suggest that the absentee landlords of large estates seem to have been less inclined to adopt changed technology, whereas resident owners—whether of large or small estates—living close to their land, and directly involved in the processes of production, may have been more likely to do so. Among the many factors at play—technical, geographic, cultural, chronological, environmental, and commercial—the relationship of the landowner to his land may have played an important role in the diffusion of technology.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 252 | 64 | 4 |
| Full Text Views | 59 | 3 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 77 | 10 | 0 |
