During the Medieval period in Europe: - Agricultural societies lived in small villages and worked together to farm the land, as rural life was more common than urban life. Societies were relatively small. - Most people were either freemen who worked for themselves or serfs who were permanently tied to the land they rented from lords in exchange for protection. - Trade was an important part of the economy, with people selling goods from their homes, though it did require some wealth. Guild systems trained skilled workers and regulated prices and quality in their professions. - Marriage was often an economic and social arrangement decided by families, though dowries provided economic security for wives if their husbands died. Basic medical