How dark was the Dark Ages in human history?

The fall of the Roman Empire did not turn Europe into a region dominated by violence. Those are the misconceptions of previous historians. Today, we have a different view of the Dark Ages.

The Dark Ages have always been a subject of curiosity for the curious. The reason could be that the barbarians occupied the entire European continent, which was ruled by the Romans, or it could be that science and art 'hibernated' for 300 years; The period that is considered to be the most chaotic period in history still swallows a lot of paper and ink of researchers.

The truth is, lack of accurate information is one of the main reasons why this period is so dark in the eyes of modern people. Ordinarily, we still consider this to be a period without the appearance of a savior, with culture and art waning, the transcontinental economy collapsing, living conditions dilapidated in the absence of new technology or technology. scientific breakthrough.

The Dark Ages have always been a subject of curiosity for the curious.

The period of scandal attracts history enthusiasts, but while scholars and interested people continue to find links between the Dark Ages and historical heroes, the concept of the 'Dark Ages' dark' is slowly disappearing from the dictionaries of true historians. They believe that the people who first used this phrase introduced into the concept false assumptions and prejudices.

' Today, no academic researchers use it, because this is one of the most interesting and vibrant historical periods in history, and every year we have new data about it. around this time, ' said Julia Smith, a professor of medieval history at the University of Oxford.

Here's some new information about the 'Early Middle Age' , which spanned the 5th to 10th centuries, a term used by modern experts in place of the 'Dark Ages'. '.

Shadows of empires

In history books, the origin of the term 'Dark Ages' is also not clear, it is often used to celebrate the cultural achievements of the Greek and Roman empires, with implications for comparison between the two. periods of prosperity and decline.

The Colosseum, for example, shows how great the architecture of the Roman Empire was.

This vague concept persisted into the Enlightenment . Medieval history professor Alban Gautier notes that many contemporary scholars use it to refer to the greatness of Roman buildings, then compare them to wooden structures of the later period.

' The phrase [Dark Ages] is deeply rooted in ideas that emerged in 19th-century Western Europe, suggesting that there were civilizations superior to others. This statement becomes difficult to hear in the present day, ' said Professor Gautier.

Historian at Caen-Normandy University believes that the term 'Dark Ages' still possesses scholarly implications - especially when used by historians. Although the Romans were very good at keeping documents, very few records of historical events from the fifth century, and then several hundred years later, have survived.

' Really dark. It's too hard for historians to understand what happened, ' Professor Gautier said.

The art of being in the dark

But Professor Gautier still points to notable exceptions. After the collapse of the Greek empire and followed a series of consequences such as the departure of the education system, the Catholic Church helped a lot in the learning process of people in many parts of Europe.

' Churches in western Europe and all over the northern Mediterranean have become symbols of stability, ' says Professor Gautier. The monks worked tirelessly to preserve the literature and scientific documents left over from earlier times.

' Of course their purpose is to serve religion, but to achieve that wish, they will have to know Latin letters ,' Professor Gautier said. ' Understanding Latin grammar means retaining knowledge and learning from Latin texts '.

When civilization collapsed, the only achievements that remained were stone works that lived for thousands of years and fragile libraries of knowledge.

At the same time in England, the small number of literary works does not mean that the educated cannot compose any works. In fact, many of the legendary figures in British literary history emerged during this supposedly dark period.

In a poem attributed to an author believed to be from 6th-century Wales, historians first see a comparison between a warrior and the famous King Arthur who lived in the late 5th century, early in the early 5th century. 6th century. However, Professor Bryan Ward-Perkins believes that the heroic warrior mentioned in the poem is not the image of Arthur.

And yet, although the oldest Beowulf epic was written in the 10th century, some scholars suggest that it is based on an oral story that existed long before that.

Economic collapse

The Dark Ages also has another characteristic, which is that there are no more commemorative structures . Large towns and cities no longer erect statues, and infrastructure from the Roman era, such as water pipes, began to deteriorate, causing a serious decline in the quality of life.

Populations in major capitals such as Rome and Constantinople fell sharply, but Professor Gautier believes that life in the countryside has improved, especially in rural areas in England . During the Roman era, peasants had to pay regular taxes to the rulers of the city, but when the system of governance collapsed, most likely the tax disappeared.

Rome fell.

' Cities, small towns. Because of that, farmers don't have to work so hard to feed the city anymore, ' Professor Gauiter said.

But, according to Professor Ward-Perkins, there is archaeological evidence of food shortages in communities. ' Another factor explaining the 'darkness' is the lack of evidence remaining, most likely due to the collapse of the economy ,' he said.

Researchers can no longer find much evidence that life goes on as usual. Archaeological sites dotted across Europe, dating back to 450, lack new coins, pottery or roof tiles. It was not until 700 that they reappeared.

Science and technology hidden in the dark

There is one more claim regarding the Dark Ages, which is the backwardness of science and understanding. It is true that Western Europe no longer achieved much compared to later times, culture and learning in the Southern Mediterranean boomed, and a series of Muslim kingdoms appeared.

In Europe, useful technologies still exist, such as watermills. As for academics, history sees Isidore of Seville, a prominent bishop and scholar, transcribing an encyclopedia of canonical knowledge. Without his Etymologiae, humanity would have been deprived of a great deal of knowledge.

A page of Etymologiae.

In the islands near present-day England, many human communities developed unique gem-encrusting techniques. Masks studded with sparkling stones appeared in many parts of Europe, including in Viking coffins.

It is true that the Dark Ages began with the fall of the Roman empire, the Middle Ages - beginning at the end of the 8th century - saw the emergence of brilliant leaders. It is possible to mention Charlemagne from France, who has almost unified all of Europe.

Most scholars agree that this supposedly dark period represents the doom that covered much of Europe, and many of the assumptions involved are no longer true. Much of the stereotype that this was a time of violence, misery and backward thinking has also been denied by archaeological evidence.

' That idea has fallen out of favor, when it is assumed that this dark period is because people no longer retain their humanity, ' Professor Ward-Perkin said. But he also laughed and added, ' most of us have already admitted that humans are terrible all the time '.