| The wooden plow was invented around 3500 years before Christ. Before this time, men cultivated the land with sticks and stones. To fulfill its function, it was firstly dragged by humans and then by animals (one, two, three and even more). Through these means, the wood plow has provided food for humanity for at least 5,000 years. The industrial revolution of the 19th century also industrialized and updated the plow, replacing its wooden compounds with steel. While in the 20th century, most parts of the plow were made of steel (with the exception of the two wooden rods connecting the device to the animal). The invention of the internal combustion engine also led to the industrialization of agriculture tools, putting the plow out of function. However, this kind of tool for land work continued to be used in Albania until recently. Currently the wooden plow can be found in extremely isolated areas in the Albanian Alps, where their replacement with modern mechanical tools was not yet possible. The plow is mostly used to work small plots of land, especially for cultivating corn and beans. In the mountains, the plow is dragged by a horse, while the farmer walks alongside it about 3m further back, guiding it by a long stick called a hosten**. |
