The Origin of Property in Land (Classic Reprint) - Softcover

Inhaltsangabe

Uncover how medieval land really worked and why long-held ideas about common ownership may be mistaken. This work examines early medieval landholding in Europe, focusing on the villa, the dominicum, and the role of slaves, coloni, and serfs within the manor system. It invites readers to reexamine widespread assumptions about how land was owned, divided, and controlled in the centuries after the Roman era.

The book surveys documentary evidence from laws and charters across Germanic and Frankish worlds to test claims about village communities and common fields. It shows how private estates were organized, how ownership and tenancy operated, and why popular theories have sometimes misinterpreted historical records. The discussion balances careful analysis with a clear aim: to understand the actual structure of landholding rather than rely on sweeping theories.

• Definitions and units: villa, marca, dominicum, and how they structure estate ownership


• Evidence from law codes and charters about slaves, coloni, and tenant holdings


• How inheritance and sale affected land divisions and the persistence of a dominant estate


• Critical evaluation of competing theories about community ownership and the origins of the manor

Die Inhaltsangabe kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen.