The book focusses on the social life of farms from prehistory until c. 1700 AD, based mainly on archaeological sources. The papers presented here discuss farms in Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Germany. Whether isolated or in hamlets or villages, farms have been important elements of the social structure for thousands of years. Farms were workplace and home for their inhabitants, women, men and children, and perhaps extended families – frequently sharing their space with domestic animals. Sometimes important events such as feasts, religious services and funerals also took place here. The household thus became a multi-faceted arena, which brought together a variety of community members that both shaped - and were shaped by - its social dynamics.