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400
The Middle Ages 400-1400AD
The period of European history which we call “Medieval” is usually regarded as consisting of the thousand years or so between the fall of the Roman empire in the west (around 400 AD), through to the start of the Italian Renaissance (in c. 1400). For most of the Middle Ages, European society was almost entirely rural, with a very simple social structure: nobles at the top, peasants at the bottom, and very few people in between. -
Period: Apr 16, 600 to Apr 16, 1100
The Vikings
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Apr 21, 1100
Art and Architecture
Stone carvers working in Britain in the Norman period were influenced by designs and ideas that had been introduced by the Vikings. Carvings on doorframes were especially influenced by Viking designs such as those of twisting snakes and scroll patterns. An example of this can be seen on this door frame of a Kilpeck church. -
Apr 21, 1100
Invasions
The Vikings had been feared as invaders who came across the sea. Now other peoples were beginning to invade the Viking homelands.
Around Europe the kings were beginning to organise their armies and build castles to protect their towns. This meant that they were able to defend themselves from Viking raids. -
Apr 21, 1100
Viking Words
There are still Viking names and words in the English language to show that the Vikings occupied parts of Europe.
Place names ending with '-ness' come from 'nes' (headland)
One in five of the everyday words used in English today was introduced by the Vikings. These include: leg, sky, white, skin, egg, low, root, skirt, knife, ugly, ill, window and husband. The Vikings alphabet was called the futhark and had 16 characters -
Apr 21, 1200
Stories/ Sagas
The Vikings did not write books but they were great storytellers. Their stories were eventually written down, but not until the main Viking age was over. We can red about some individual Vikings from 'sagas'. Sagas are historical novels based on real people and events from the Viking world. Written n the thirteenth century, these family sagas are full of interesting details as well as being good stories. -
China 618-907
The T'ang dynasty rules China. Art and literature enjoy a "golden age". At its height the T'ang dynasty rules the largest empire of its time.
China imports horses, precious stones, ivory, gold and furs, and exports tea, paper, lacquer, silk and ceramics by boat and along a trade route called "the Silk Road". -
Middle America 800-1100AD
800AD: The Classical phase of Mayan civilization ends, probably due to wars between rival kings and over cultivation of the land. The Maya had built great cities of stone, with palaces, open plazas, courts for ball games and stepped pyramids with temples on top.
900AD: Yucatan becomes the new focus of Mayan culture
920AD: The Mayan city Chechen is renamed Chechen Itza by the Toltecs. The Toltecs build their capital city at Tulsa.
1100: The city of Tulsa is destroyed by tribes from the north -
India
900: India becomes a wealthy nation, attracting merchant and conquerors.
Buddhism spreads from India to Japan and China. It loses its popularity in India, to be replaced by Hinduism.
