How would you know you crossed a border during the Middle Ages?The feature that would most clearly i

How would you know you crossed a border during the Middle Ages?The feature that would most clearly indicate that you were passing from one region to another would be tolls collected on roads and bridges. It would be less a change of border than a change of private jurisdiction. These were maintained by the local lord or sometimes local monastic house. The income from the tolls was supposed to be used for the upkeep of the road or bridge. Main roads would pass through towns, which would be walled and gated. These would likewise require a toll to enter. Merchant travelers, who often travelled in groups for safety, were advised to have gold and silver coins easily convertible to the local currency. In 1179, the Third Lateran Council threatened excommunication to anyone who raised the cost of old tolls or imposed new ones without the permission of their king or prince.Christians traveling in Muslim lands would be subject to something more closely like a border crossing protocol. At Alexandria, they and their baggage were closely searched upon landing at the port.Another indicator of a change of region would be a shift in the language spoken, which could sometimes be dramatic. There were places in rural France where people in one village could barely understand the dialect of a village just a few miles away.See Jean Verdun, Travel in the Middle Ages (1998; trans. George Holoch, 2003)Credit to redditor WhoosierImage: Medieval bridge at Aylesford (x) -- source link

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