Final answer:
In the Dark Ages, Europeans relied on subsistence agriculture, nobles for protection, and the Christian Church for guidance and knowledge.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Dark Ages, the means of survival for Europeans varied depending on their social status and location. The majority of Europeans lived in small villages and were peasants or serfs, who worked on the land owned by the nobles. They were responsible for farming and providing labor services to the nobles in return for protection.
During this period, Europe experienced political instability and military conflicts. The fall of the Roman Empire led to the retreat of Europeans into walled cities for protection from pillagers such as Vikings, Mongols, Arabs, and Magyars. The Christian Church remained intact and served as a powerful institution that provided spiritual guidance and collected and copied manuscripts to keep knowledge alive.
However, the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, caused significant devastation in the 14th century. It resulted in the deaths of millions of Europeans, leading to a population decline. Peasants became less patient with the taxes and labor demands of the nobility, resulting in peasant revolts in France and England. Overall, the means of survival in the Dark Ages for Europeans involved subsistence agriculture, reliance on nobles for protection, and the influence of the Christian Church.