A hand tool with a long handle and two to five thin tines, used to lift and move loose materials such as hay, straw and manure. Fewer, wider-spaced tines suit bulky hay; more closely spaced tines suit looser material such as compost, and the tine count and spacing are chosen to match the job. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
OriginFirst attested in Europe during the Early Middle Ages, roughly the fifth to tenth centuries AD, appearing at around the same time as the harrow; the earliest known pitchforks were made entirely of wood, with metal tines added later. 1 Connections
Associated With
the pitchfork was the manual tool for turning and loading hay before mechanized balers took over that handling
Sources
1. Pitchfork (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationOpening description section
It has a long handle and usually two to five thin tines designed to efficiently move such materials.
History section, Early Middle Ages sentence
In Europe, the pitchfork was first used in the Early Middle Ages, at about the same time as the harrow.
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