Was there an “Agricultural Revolution” in the Middle Ages?

Lynn White Jr. and George Duby argued that there was an agricultural revolution in Northwest Europe during the Middle Ages. This thesis of a medieval agricultural revolution emphasizes the roles of the heavy plough, horse-drawn plough and three-field system, and holds that important agricultural advancements took place in a relatively short time, with significant economic and social impacts. However, subsequent studies shown that the heavy plough and the three-field system were ancient techniques, and that the importance of the horse-drawn plough and the three-field system was exaggerated. Moreover, the speed of their spread was very slow. The application of these technologies was often in response to demographic changes rather than a prerequisite for population growth. In addition, seed/yield ratios also show small and slow increases. As a result, the thesis of a medieval agricultural revolution has been largely discredited. However, the description of an “agricultural revolution” might still be appropriate for a region in a particular period.