introduction | social context | religion | manuscripts | printing: development
implications | resources [ course notes | course main | home ]

additional notes in this section > [ 2 ] [ 4 ] [ 7 ] [ 6 ] [ 9 ]

500 - 1000
1000 - 12th/13th c
12th/13th c - 1500s > high middle / late middle ages

1450s > renaissance, south, central and northern europe

social history  [ western + central europe,  rome to england ]

knowledge of Greek, Roman and other ancient/classical cultures and
accomplishments almost totally lost

few manuscripts survived

little law and order

travel = danger ~ trade + commerce almost stopped
cities degenerated into small villages
beginning of a feudal environment
established firmly in western and central europe
from 12th to 15th centuries
reliance on agriculture
barter is main form of trade

people = poor illiterate peasants
much superstition
 

language + culture became isolated
developing in individual rather than universal directions