Over time, many thriving farming communities grew. They expanded from camps, to villages, to towns.
Up to 3,000 people might live in one of these towns. With so many people living together, some could offer services. They would use special skills or provide labor in exchange for the goods they needed.
Some towns had a lot of surplus goods. They became important centers for barter. Economies began to develop. Soon, merchants (sellers) and landowners formed the highest social classes. The towns with the most resources could make deals for goods, and also for political power.
