Emergence of Towns in Europe

There are three theories to explain the emergence of towns in Europe. One theory states that towns began as fortifications against Viking attacks. The second theory says towns started when merchants engaging in long distance trade would settle outside the walls of a fort. The third explanation claims that large cathedrals and monasteries had schools in them and would attract students from all around. Traders would settle near these churches and the population would grow. …

…devices such as the windmill and tidal mill for grinding grain also increased productivity. Consequently, Europeans began eating better; they lived longer and grew in number. An improved diet with iron-rich legumes increased women’s life span and helped them survive childbearing. Europe's population almost doubled between 1000 and 1350; in some regions, it tripled. Surplus food and population meant that more people could devote their energies to new crafts and trade instead of to subsistence agriculture.