How Did the Vikings Promote Economic Development in Yorkshire?

How did the Vikings promote economic development in Yorkshire?
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How did the Vikings promote economic development in Yorkshire?
The raid of Yorkshire happened after the destruction of Lindisfarne by the Vikings, also referred to as Norsemen. Vikings, which means raid, were people from Scandinavia who, after the rise in population in their country, made it wise to go for a raid to look for settlement since the land had become scarce in their country. Several youths gathered together, went by sea looking for places to raid, and settled in various parts of Western Europe, including France and the British Isles. Their main aim was to raid and gather wealth for themselves. Most Vikings who came to Yorkshire originated from Denmark, while others came from Norway during the ninth century. They settled in Jorvik, a city in Yorkshire, where they established different settlements throughout the region. While Vikings were associated with raids across Europe, they influenced economic development across Yorkshire during their reign by developing extensive trade networks, bringing new technologies, developing towns and cities, helping create more interconnected cities, and influencing the country’s culture, as discussed in the paper.
Media (2023) notes that Vikings developed extensive trade networks in Yorkshire. In the early years, trading took place through barter trade, where people exchanged goods for goods or services. Vikings were skilled traders and engaged in trade with different goods and services. Some goods traded included metalwork, textiles, and fur, which were traded for spices, jewels, and silks (Media,2023). During that time, enslaved people were increasingly exchanged with other goods as part of the trade. Vikings also engaged in an exchange of enslaved people for goods and services. Since they were seafaring experts, they established trade routes that connected Yorkshire to different countries throughout Western Europe to help connect the region across a wide network. Their network stretched from North America in the West to the Islamic world. They eventually had a deal to trade silver and Arabic coins to buy goods and services (Media,2023). They made Yorkshire a trading hub which attracted many international traders. Due to the growth resulting from trade, many artisans settled in Yorkshire and set up workshops to manufacture goods such as cups, tableware, glass beads, pottery, leather goods, and cloth. Some specialized in blacksmith work, producing swords, battle axes, and armor. The Vikings traded along the coast of Europe and established different settlements along the coast, which became their new homes. They went to places such as the Atlantic Island and southern Italy, where they intermarried and made permanent homes (Media,2023). When they went to battles and won, the Vikings enslaved people with them and took them to the market. The slave trade was extremely profitable during this time and varied based on the tribe captured during the battle.
They brought new technology across Yorkshire and other areas they settled in (Stewart,2017). On top of promoting trade in Yorkshire and other areas, Vikings helped by bringing new technology. First, they brought new agricultural practices to Yorkshire. They introduced new crops to the country, which people adopted and began to plant in their lands. Some crops included barley and oats not present in the country before (Stewart,2017). According to the author, they also introduced new plowing techniques to cultivate the land. Since there were artisans experienced in metalwork, they crafted cultivating tools that helped in plowing their lands. The innovations played a significant role in increasing agricultural productivity and promoting economic growth. Vikings used unique technology to manufacture artifacts sold during trade (Stewart,2017). The process involved specialized skills, told, and raw materials that only those with adequate knowledge could do. They, however, transferred the knowledge and technology behind manufacturing artifacts to other people they found in Yorkshire to ensure they had people who would help them in the service. Vikings were also known for their ship-building skills (Stewart,2017). Since the skills can be traced to date, that shows they passed the knowledge to other people to ensure continuity of the technology since the diffe...