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Originally constructed in the once prosperous mining town of Richfield, the now remote and solitary location of this historic place – in an area where most other physical evidence of habitation lies in ruins – is a significant reminder of the transitory nature of non-native settlement and centres of government in nineteenth century British ...
Oct 24, 2024 · The Middle Ages was the period in European history from the collapse of Roman civilization in the 5th century CE to the period of the Renaissance (variously interpreted as beginning in the 13th, 14th, or 15th century, depending on the region of Europe and other factors).
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
- The Middle Ages: Birth of An Idea
- The Catholic Church in The Middle Ages
- The Middle Ages: The Rise of Islam
- The Crusades
- The Middle Ages: Art and Architecture
- The Black Death
- The Middle Ages: Economics and Society
The phrase “Middle Ages” tells us more about the Renaissance that followed it than it does about the era itself. Starting around the 14th century, European thinkers, writers and artists began to look back and celebrate the art and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. Accordingly, they dismissed the period after the fall of Rome as a “Middle” or even...
After the fall of Rome, no single state or government united the people who lived on the European continent. Instead, the Catholic Church became the most powerful institution of the medieval period. Kings, queens and other leaders derived much of their power from their alliances with and protection of the Church. In 800 CE, for example, Pope Leo II...
Meanwhile, the Islamic world was growing larger and more powerful. After the prophet Muhammad’s death in 632 CE, Muslim armies conquered large parts of the Middle East, uniting them under the rule of a single caliph. At its height, the medieval Islamic world was more than three times bigger than all of Christendom. Under the caliphs, great cities s...
Toward the end of the 11th century, the Catholic Church began to authorize military expeditions, or Crusades, to expel Muslim “infidels” from the Holy Land. Crusaders, who wore red crosses on their coats to advertise their status, believed that their service would guarantee the remission of their sins and ensure that they could spend all eternity i...
Another way to show devotion to the Church was to build grand cathedrals and other ecclesiastical structures such as monasteries. Cathedrals were the largest buildings in medieval Europe, and they could be found at the center of towns and cities across the continent. Between the 10th and 13th centuries, most European cathedrals were built in the Ro...
Between 1347 and 1350, a mysterious disease known as the " Black Death" (the bubonic plague) killed some 20 million people in Europe—30 percent of the continent’s population. It was especially deadly in cities, where it was impossible to prevent the transmission of the disease from one person to another. The plague started in Europe in October 1347...
In medieval Europe, rural life was governed by a system scholars call “feudalism.” In a feudal society, the king granted large pieces of land called fiefs to noblemen and bishops. Landless peasants known as serfs did most of the work on the fiefs: They planted and harvested crops and gave most of the produce to the landowner. In exchange for their ...
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- Middle Ages lasted from the 5th to the 15th century. The Middle Ages, also known as the medieval period, is a term used to describe the roughly one-thousand-year span between the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century and the beginning of the Renaissance in the late 15th century.
- Feudalism was the dominant social system. Feudalism was the prevailing social, economic, and political system of the Middle Ages. At its core, it involved a hierarchical structure where land and protection were exchanged for service and loyalty.
- The Dark Ages marked its early phase. The term “Dark Ages” is sometimes used to refer to the early part of the Middle Ages, roughly from the 5th to the 10th century.
- The Crusades were religious wars. The Crusades were a series of religious and military campaigns undertaken by European Christians between the 11th and 13th centuries.
Jun 29, 2024 · Discover the 50 most significant events of the Middle Ages, spanning the years 500 to 1500. This comprehensive timeline includes pivotal political and military events, groundbreaking inventions, influential writings, and major religious milestones across Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Mar 3, 2023 · What are some of the most important inventions from the Middle Ages? Far from being a period of little to no technological progress, the Middle Ages had its fair share of new inventions, like any...
Jul 18, 2024 · Delve into the pivotal figures of the Middle Ages whose enduring legacies shaped the course of history. From visionary leaders and profound scholars to prolific writers and formidable warriors, these individuals left an indelible mark on medieval society.
