> and housing was absolutely an investment before that

..and don't make absurd generalizations. Humanity is way older that the middle ages, and hundreds of different cultures existed around the world even during the middle ages.

Very few had the concept of investment and the idea a house has a monetary value that grows significantly over time was simply unheard.

> longer than the United States has existed.

Imperial units are bad but measuring history in united-states is even worse. The US is not even 250 years old.

> I don't understand what you think this comment means...

I can see that.

- Widespread (in Europe)

- Half of recorded (European) history

An exclusively European phenomenon, the bulk of which came and went while it was a backwater region with limited effect on the rest of the world.