Trade section

The Trade section concerns purchase and sale of property, goods, and services. There was obviously a need for better regulations because this is one of the sections of the Laws of the Land that differ the most from the relevant provisions in the earlier provincial laws. Deals were to be confirmed with a handshake in the presence of witnesses. When land, houses, and other valuable assets changed hands, charters with witnesses and seals were required. Agreements on the marriage of women were also included – perhaps surprisingly for modern people, but this was natural in those days because it also concerned the transfer of property and other valuable assets. The Trade section describes how one should deal with settlements, defaults, debts, and mortgages. It also includes the renting and lending of movable assets, boats, horses, and cattle. Furthermore, the Trade section also mentions merchant trips and the shipping of goods. Even in an agricultural society that was largely based on selfsufficiency, many people had a surplus to sell and needed to buy what they did not produce themselves. The goods mentioned are primarily textiles, foodstuffs, and other necessities. An account is given of standards for weights and measures for various goods, and mandatory control and marking of weights and measuring cups. Archaeological finds of weights and trade goods are evidence of trade. It is clear that purchasing and selling was the domain of adult men. Underage persons were not allowed to buy anything. Women could only trade in goods of limited value, depending on the estate to which they belonged, and a purchase that exceeded this value could be invalidated.