Anglo Saxon economy

• England was well suited to growing crops, and likely traded wool and cloth too. The Anglo Saxons traded with other countries (e.g. silver for coins came from Germany). The biggest cities were London and York, and important towns included Norwich and Lincoln.
• Each shire had a main town called a burh. These were well fortified and linked by roads. The king’s laws said that more valuable trade had to take place in a burh, so that trade tax could be paid.
• Villages consisted of a few houses scattered in the countryside. Houses were made of wood and straw. Lots of relatives lived together. Thegns also lived in the countryside, but their houses were bigger and better-built than peasant huts.
• Saxon England was based partly on an EXCHANGE ECONOMY.
• Saxon England also had an EXPORT

  economy.
• The main export was WOOL.
• BURHS made trade and tax collection effective.
• COINS were high quality and helped advertise the king's power.