The fall of the Roman Empire did not turn Europe into a backward region dominated by violence. This is a misconception held by earlier historians. Today, we have a different perspective on the Dark Ages.
The Dark Ages have always been a topic that piques the curiosity of knowledge seekers. The reasons may include the barbarian tribes occupying the continent of Europe, which was previously governed by the Romans, or the notion that science and art were in a “deep freeze” for 300 years; a period known for its chaos that has consumed countless pages of research.
The truth is that a lack of accurate information is one of the main reasons this era appears dark in the eyes of modern individuals. Typically, we view this as a time devoid of heroic saviors, with culture and art in decline, intercontinental economies faltering, and living conditions deteriorating due to the absence of new technologies or scientific breakthroughs.
The Dark Ages have always been a topic that piques the curiosity of knowledge seekers.
This infamous period attracts history enthusiasts, but while scholars and interested parties continue to search for links between the Dark Ages and historical heroes, the term “Dark Ages” is gradually disappearing from the dictionaries of true historians. They argue that the first users of this phrase incorporated assumptions and biases into the concept.
“Today, no academic researcher uses it, because this is one of the most fascinating and vibrant periods in history, and each year we gain new data about this time,” said Julia Smith, a medieval history professor at Oxford University.
Below are some new insights about the Early Middle Ages, spanning from the 5th to the 10th century, a term modern experts use instead of “Dark Ages.”
The Shadows of Empires
In history, the origins of the term “Dark Ages” are not clearly defined; it is often used to praise the cultural achievements of the Greek and Roman empires, implying a comparison between periods of prosperity and decline.
The Roman Colosseum exemplifies the grandeur of Roman architecture.
This vague concept persisted into the Age of Enlightenment. Medieval historian Alban Gautier noted that many contemporary scholars used it to denote the magnificence of Roman structures and compared them to the wooden architecture of later periods.
“The phrase [Dark Ages] is deeply rooted in ideas formed in Western Europe during the 19th century, suggesting that there are superior civilizations compared to others. This notion is becoming difficult to accept in the current era,” said Professor Gautier.
The historian at the University of Caen-Normandy believes that the concept of the “Dark Ages” still carries scholarly implications—especially when used by historians. Although the Romans were skilled at record-keeping, documentation of historical events from the 5th century and several hundred years thereafter is exceedingly rare.
“It is truly dark. It is too difficult for historians to understand what happened,” Professor Gautier remarked.
Art in the Shadows
However, Professor Gautier pointed out notable exceptions. After the fall of the Greek Empire, and with it the collapse of the educational system, the Catholic Church played a significant role in preserving education across many regions of Europe.
“The Church in Western Europe and all regions north of the Mediterranean became symbols of stability,” Professor Gautier said. Monks worked tirelessly to preserve literature and scientific documents that survived from earlier times.
“Of course, their purpose was to serve religion, but to achieve that goal, they had to be literate in Latin,” Professor Gautier noted. “Understanding Latin grammar meant preserving knowledge and learning from texts written in Latin.”
When civilizations fell, the remaining achievements were stone structures that endured for thousands of years and fragile libraries of knowledge.
During this time in England, the limited amount of literature did not mean that educated individuals could not produce works. In fact, many legendary figures in English literary history emerged during this so-called dark period.
In a poem attributed to an author from Wales in the 6th century, historians first see a comparison between a warrior and the famous King Arthur, who lived at the end of the 5th and the beginning of the 6th century. However, Professor Bryan Ward-Perkins argues that the valiant warrior mentioned in the poem is not an image of Arthur.
Moreover, although the oldest epic poem about Beowulf was composed in the 10th century, some scholars believe this work is based on oral stories that existed long before.
Economic Decline
The Dark Ages also had another characteristic: the absence of monumental architecture. Large towns and cities ceased to erect statues, and the infrastructure from Roman times, such as aqueducts, began to deteriorate significantly, leading to a drastic decline in living standards.
Population in major capitals like Rome and Constantinople decreased sharply, but Professor Gautier believes that rural life may have improved, especially in the countryside of England. During Roman times, peasants had to pay taxes regularly to city rulers, but when the administration collapsed, it is likely that taxes disappeared.
The Fall of Rome.
“Towns and cities shrank. As a result, farmers no longer needed to work hard to support the whole city,” Professor Gautier stated.
But according to Professor Ward-Perkins, there is archaeological evidence indicating a lack of food in residential communities. “Another factor explaining the ‘darkness’ is the scarcity of remaining evidence, likely due to the economic collapse,” he remarked.
Researchers have found it increasingly challenging to uncover evidence that life continued as usual. Archaeological sites scattered across Europe, dating from 450 AD, lack new coins, pottery, or roof tiles. It was not until around 700 AD that these items reappeared.
Science and Technology Hidden in the Shadows
Another assertion related to the Dark Ages concerns the stagnation of science and knowledge. It is true that Western Europe did not achieve as many accomplishments compared to later periods, while culture and scholarship in the southern Mediterranean flourished, alongside the emergence of numerous Islamic kingdoms.
In Europe, practical technologies still existed, such as watermills. Regarding scholarship, history witnessed Isidore of Seville, a renowned bishop and scholar, compiling an encyclopedia of classical knowledge. Without his work, Etymologiae, humanity would have lost a vast amount of knowledge.
A page from Etymologiae.
In the island regions near present-day England, many communities developed unique gem-setting techniques. Glittering masks adorned with stones appeared throughout Europe, even in Viking graves.
Indeed, the Dark Ages began with the fall of the Roman Empire, while the Middle Ages—starting in the late 8th century—witnessed the rise of extraordinary leaders, including Charlemagne from France, who nearly unified all of Europe.
Most scholars agree that this so-called dark period represents a reality of decline that enveloped much of Europe, and many assumptions related to it are no longer accurate. The prevailing biases suggesting this was a time of violence, suffering, and regressive thinking have also been refuted by archaeological evidence.
“That idea is no longer prevalent, as it suggests this period was dark because people could not maintain their humanity,” Professor Ward-Perkin noted. But he also chuckled and added, “most of us have acknowledged that humanity has always been that terrible.”
