| Abstract [eng] |
which was characteristic of the Neo-Marxist philosophy, were chosen as the theoretical bases of the research. When discussing the economic development of the microregion, we should single out at least three kinds of economic activities: arable farming, animal husbandry, and other trades (hunting, fishing, crafts, robbery, etc.). The relative influence (the surplus value and significance in the community life) of each of them was different in different periods. Due to the agrarian nature of farming, the agricultural systems in the 1st–16th centuries in Lithuania were considered to be the deciding factor determining the need and possibilities for other economic activities. The most important factors determining the historical development of economics could be resources and markets. By applying this scheme to the communities of the past based on agrarian economics, the main resources – land and people cultivating it and the main consumers, i.e. the same people (taking into account the proportion of centres and peripheries where consumption should have been greater around the towns) – could be singled out. The main ‘motive power’ of economic development was the growth of population. On the one hand, people using land were creating surplus economic values. Unsettled land (forest) was considered to be worthless for a long time. On the other hand, the growth of population (consumers, market) also induced economic intensification. During the periods of even evolution, the population growth induced changes in farming, because the growing community required greater amounts of food. It can be supposed that in the beginning the amount of food was increased from the internal resources of the community: the hunting area as well as the areas of meadows and arable lands were expanded. However, such quantitative (extensive) changes in small communities were very limited and requiring great additional labour expenses and time costs... |
