Guide: The Ard – Early Ploughing in English Brigantia

The Ard: Early Ploughing in English Brigantia

Introduction

The ard, also known as a scratch plough, represents one of the earliest forms of agricultural technology used by the people of ancient Brigantia. Unlike modern ploughs that turn the soil, the ard was a simple yet effective tool designed to break up and aerate the ground, making it easier to sow seeds. This primitive implement played a crucial role in the development of farming in prehistoric and early historic Britain, particularly in the upland and lowland regions of the Brigantes territory.

What is an Ard?

The ard consists of a wooden frame with a horizontal beam (stilt) attached to a vertical Shaft (pole), which was often drawn by oxen or even pulled manually. The key working component was the share, a wooden or later metal-tipped blade that scratched shallow furrows into the soil rather than turning it over. This design was particularly suited to the light, stony, and often acidic soils of northern Britain, where deeper ploughing would have been both impractical and unnecessary.

The ard’s function was not to create deep furrows but to loosen the topsoil and allow for the easier broadcasting of seeds. Because it did not invert the earth, weeds and previous crops were often left in place, requiring subsequent tilling or manual removal. However, in combination with fire clearance and cattle trampling, the ard was sufficient for sustaining early agricultural practices.

Evidence of Ards in Brigantia

Archaeological evidence of ards in Brigantian territory is primarily indirect, relying on preserved ard marks in ancient fields, occasional wooden remains, and metal components. Some key finds include:

• The Heslerton Ard Marks (North Yorkshire): Excavations in Heslerton revealed ard-marks in prehistoric soils, confirming the use of early ploughing techniques in the region. These marks, often running parallel in a uniform pattern, suggest the systematic use of the ard in early agriculture.
• The Stanwick Cropmark System (North Yorkshire): Aerial surveys have detected possible ard-marks in the soil, suggesting repeated use of early ploughing in Brigantian farming landscapes.
• Middleton Moor (West Yorkshire): Archaeological findings here indicate an Iron Age farming system, including ard marks and pollen evidence suggesting land clearance.
• The Ferriby Boat Connection (East Yorkshire): While not directly an ard, the Ferriby boats indicate a level of technological sophistication in the Late Bronze Age, a time when ard usage is also known to have expanded in Brigantia.

Ards and Field Systems

The use of the ard is closely associated with early field systems such as the Celtic field systems—small rectangular plots visible in the landscape. These were often found on terraces or sloping land, where the shallow cutting of the ard was sufficient to cultivate cereal crops like barley and emmer wheat.

A key challenge of using the ard was the need for additional labour. After ploughing, the land was often harrowed using branches or stone-toothed harrows to break up larger clumps of soil. In some cases, grazing animals were driven over the freshly ploughed land to help press seeds into the soil, enhancing germination rates.

Cultural and Historical Context

The use of the ard in Brigantia must be understood within the wider context of Iron Age and early Roman Britain. The Brigantes were known to be semi-sedentary agriculturalists with a mixed economy that included animal husbandry and crop cultivation. While the ard was common across Britain, its presence in Brigantia suggests an agricultural society that managed both upland and lowland farming.

With the arrival of the Romans, the heavier mouldboard plough gradually replaced the ard, allowing for deeper tillage and improved soil turnover. However, in many areas of northern Britain, where soils remained difficult to work, the ard continued in use well into the medieval period.

Conclusion

The ard was a simple but effective agricultural tool that allowed Brigantian farmers to cultivate crops in challenging environments. Archaeological evidence suggests that its use was widespread, particularly in areas where deeper ploughing was unnecessary or impractical. Understanding the role of the ard in early Brigantian society provides valuable insights into prehistoric farming techniques, land use, and the daily lives of those who worked the land thousands of years ago.

Further Reading & References

• Hall, D. (2001). Turning the Soil: Early Agricultural Tools and Techniques.
• Cunliffe, B. (2013). Iron Age Communities in Britain.
• English Heritage. (2022). Prehistoric Agriculture and Field Systems in Northern England.