Late Middle Ages
By: Kevin Avigdor - Block 3
Activity #1: Life in a Medieval Town
Craft Guilds
-A craft guild is an organization that was controlled by the experts in a trade.
-Some examples are bakers, tailors, armour and sword makers, and tanners.
-The importance is that they look after their members, such as in case of sickness or accident.
Medieval Towns
-The town has a stone wall surrounding it for protection. The protection was really strong.
-They built gates, to close at night.
-The streets were narrow, winding, and had open sewers.
-The people would dump their garbage on the street. Some towns had swineherds who would ride pigs at night, to eat the garbage.
-Most of the towns got pretty dirty because people left their garbage.
-The fairs made a lot of people get into trade, which made the people wealthy.
-People got to try new food and clothes that they never saw before.
-Markets can last for several weeks.
Example of Medieval Town
Rise of a Merchants Class
-The importance is for everyone to be able to become independent and powerful, not just lords and nobles.
New Freedom of Found in Towns
-Serfs could escape the manor. If the serfs stayed away from the manor for 1 year, they would be free.
-A woman who married a guild member, or was a guild member, would get more freedom then others.
Activity #2: Technology of the Time
Castles
-The reason that they made castles, was to defend their people against attackers. the castles were also for letting their people in, in case of attack.
-The parts of the castles were the gate houses, the great hall, towers, the great chamber, the second chamber, the kitchen, the keep, the inner court, and the chapel.
-The castles had food and water.
-Had a drawbridge with a moat, and a stone wall around it.
-When the castle has to defend, they would shoot arrows, drop rocks, and dump boiling water onto the attackers.
-A famous castle is the Windsor castle. It's the largest, and oldest official residence.
-Queen Elizabeth II always spend her weekends there.
-This castle was built in 1770. It took 16 years to build.
Knights
-The role of the Knights is to protect women, kids, and to strengthen the church.
-The role of the Knights for jousting is to be able to ride a horse, and to try to use a lance pole to knock their enemies off.
-Chivalry is the qualities of behaviour expected of a knight, such as honour, courtesy, and courage.
-The code of chivalry is personal honour. It's important because it would mean that they are brave, generous, and truthful.
Weapons
-Cannons were to heavy and expensive to be practical.
-Cannons are used in sieges and pitched battles.
-The improvements in metalworkers made for lighter and cheaper cannons.
-A cannon was a metal object that shoots gun powder and big arrows.
-Cannons was created by using two wheels, big arrows, and metal.
-Cannons was hard to reload.
-Cannons were mostly used for defence because it was hard to move around and hard to make.
Armor
-It was a strong and light steal.
-Knights and wealthy nobles used it.
Activity #3: Culture
Clothing
-Peasants wore cheap clothing to keep them dry, and warm.
-Noble men wore bright colours. Lords wore robes, tunics, and droublets.
-Nobles wore jewellery for weddings.
Art
-Architecture, sculptures, stain glass, paintings, pottery, metalwork, weaving, and books are all art.
-Donatelloe was a famous artist, he was born in 1386, and died in 1466. He did Italian sculptures.
-He invented techniques in sculpting.
-He allowed people to see in 3D image.