medieval towns and countryside

Question 1

What is Wattle and Daub and why was it used?

Answer 1

Wattle and Daub was a technique of making walls and covering them in mud made from clay, sand, animal dung and straw to insulate houses.

Question 2

What was a disadvantage of Wattle and Daub?

Answer 2

houses would be filled with smoke and have bad ventilation

Question 3

what was pottage?

Answer 3

a meat stew ate by peasants

Question 4

what caused ergotism?

Answer 4

fungus on rye (used to make bread)

Question 5

what were the symptoms of ergotism?

Answer 5

spots, burning feeling and hallucinations

Question 6

when was the Great Famine?

Answer 6

1315-1322

Question 7

how much of the population died due to the Great Famine?

Answer 7

10%

Question 8

what did people commonly drink rather than water?

Answer 8

Small Beer

Question 9

what was a midden used for?

Answer 9

floor sweepings and animal dung

Question 10

what was a privy?

Answer 10

a toilet which was a hole in the ground with a cesspit underneath

Question 11

what was waste used for?

Answer 11

fertilise fields for crops, contaminated drinking water

Question 12

famine

Answer 12

a shortage of food in a community

Question 13

conduit

Answer 13

fountain where spring water flowed for all to use

Question 14

when did London get rakers?

Answer 14

1293

Question 15

when did most towns have rakers?

Answer 15

1500

Question 16

house rooves

Answer 16

they were thatched and mice and rats often lived there

Question 17

how long could people leave rubbish on the streets for?

Answer 17

3-4 days before they could be fined

Question 18

where did rakers often dump rubbish

Answer 18

rivers

Question 19

what was a gongfermers job?

Answer 19

empty latrines and take the waste away

Question 20

when did gongfermers have to take the waste away?

Answer 20

at night