The Middle Ages

[Kosmo]

If we want to look at the great picture of Europe, it's easy to see that the Dark Ages were truely dark. Still each area shows a different picture. Some started decaying during the III C crisis (Dacia, urbanization in the northern areas) Others in the centuries to come (V C Gaul, Spain, danubian lands, Britain and after 500 Italy and the Balkans)

The degree to which areas were affected is also different. Compare Britain with Italy!

Some areas had seen some progres like Germany proper that starts urbanisation in this period under the leadership of franks and their subjects/allies (Thuringia, Bavaria)

It's easy to forget that a part of the core area of the well organized frankish kingdom was on the wrong side of the Rhine. The collapse of Rome blured the borders and, things started to improve on the outside of the empire like in Ireland.

The same process can be seen in other parts and times like viking raiding Western Europe but starting urbanization and state organisation in Rusia and Ireland.

[CiceroD]

By the end of the dark ages its

It was from a book describing britain during the dark ages and with particular emphasis on the the year 1000, but offhand I don't remember the title or author. The book is a fine summary of current archaeology/historical research and I do recommend giving it a read (I'll try to find the info on it for you).

 

Wait I think I know this one!

Did it perchance have a dirty medieval riddle comparing onions to male genitalia?

 

As far as objects from distant places it doesn't mean that people actually traveled the whole way. Trade is a natural human activity that will go on whatever the circumstances but the volume of such trade is another matter. Didn't cavemen trade flint across long distances? Didn't Native Americans trade dentalia shells across much of North America without cities or professional traders?

Thats a good arguement! Long distance travel was a minority interest in times past for sure, but what I tried to get across was that long distance travel did not suffer too much from the turmoil in england, which was patchy rather than consistent.

 

Thank you Caldrail

 

I can certainly agree that long distance trading most certainly went on. Traders, pilgrims, and minstrels wouldve all travelled long distances regularly.

 

Medieval England was probably just like the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair!

Complete with Turkey Legges, "Lord of the Rings" merchandise, Wenches, and Captain Jack Sparrow look-alikes

[caldrail]

Thats the standard view of the dark ages. I do agree that within fifty years of the roman withdrawal the system of government in britain had essentially collapsed, and its recorded that britain was split into a large number of petty kingdoms ruled by whoever had the loudest voice and strongest sword arm. Saxon incursions in the long run did britain a lot of good, becoming a stabilising factor although the methods they used to appropriate the good farmland they wanted left something to be desired. Viking incursions were more about wealth and slaves than territorial conquest (though they did that too later). However, its known that people did travel to and from britain and whilst a postal service was no longer available, messages could be sent. English and continental rulers were in contact with each other during the period for instance, there was that chap collecting christian documents to return to York, and with the saxon settlement of the southeast coast came a vast improvement in trade and communication.