An agrarian society is one that relies primarily on agriculture for its subsistence. Although this type of societies can be found all over the world, they all share some common characteristics, such as:
- Cultivation takes place in large areas, or fields (as opposed to small gardens).
- These societies often have complex social structures.
- Members of these societies have more leisure time, which means they can become specialized in other trades.
- Land becomes a mark of prestige, making social classes more rigid and creating a class of landowners.
- A surplus of food leads to greater density of population.