You overlooked bee keeping? BEE KEEPING? BLASPHEMY! That is where our mead comes from!
LOL
What I found most interesting, were the uses of everything from the animals, from hides, hair, meat, bones, etc. Little if anything was actually wasted. Sheep provided the good wool for clothing and material, yet goats, (their type in that period) offered a lesser quality cloth and material, but I would imagine it was also a less expensive alternative for those who had to watch their budgets. Like today, linen vs cotton. Either gets the job done, but cotton is far less expensive than fine linen.
The changes through the years of the breeds, cross-breeding, breed specific extinction, evolution, mutations, all working towards (hopefully) a heartier species more resilient and adaptable to existing living conditions as well as to better suit the needs and consumption of the people. Much like today but without the chemical additives.
It would seem, yet again, the rule of nature applies. Only the strong survive, adapting, growing, or they die off.
