Early Middle Ages

The Early Middle Ages run from the end of the Western Roman Empire, in AD 476, to the year 1000. In Europe new kingdoms are born, led by Germanic peoples, while in Constantinople the Byzantine Empire carries on the Roman tradition. In Arabia Islam is born, and in a short time it spreads from Asia all the way to Spain. In the monasteries monks copy ancient books and save them, and Charlemagne unites much of western Europe. Meanwhile the Vikings cross icy seas and reach as far as America.

The era on a line: 25 events

1. about AD 480 The Romano-Germanic kingdoms
2. AD 527 Emperor Justinian
3. AD 529 Justinian's Code
4. about AD 529 Benedictine monks
5. AD 537 Hagia Sophia in Constantinople
6. AD 547 The mosaics of San Vitale in Ravenna
7. AD 568 The Lombards in Italy
8. AD 622 Muhammad's Hijra
9. about AD 625 Isidore writes the Etymologies
10. AD 632–750 The spread of Islam
11. about AD 751 Paper reaches Samarkand
12. AD 768 Charlemagne, King of the Franks
13. about AD 790 The Carolingian Renaissance
14. about AD 800 The Book of Kells
15. AD 800 Charlemagne crowned emperor
16. about AD 825 Hindu-Arabic numerals head west
17. about AD 850 Writing music down with neumes
18. AD 868 The Diamond Sutra, oldest dated printed book
19. AD 871 Alfred the Great
20. about AD 874 The Vikings reach Iceland
21. about AD 900 The feudal system spreads
22. about AD 950 The Medical School of Salerno
23. about AD 985 The Vikings in Greenland
24. about 1000 Leif Erikson in North America
25. about 1000 The heavy plough spreads

Did you know?

• The Diamond Sutra, printed in China in AD 868, is the oldest printed book that gives an exact date.
• Erik the Red called his new land Greenland to attract settlers, even though it is almost entirely covered in ice.
• The small letters you are reading come from Carolingian minuscule, the clear handwriting created in the time of Charlemagne.

storiascopio.com/en/era/early-middle-ages/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class

1. Put in order: write 1 next to the oldest and 5 next to the most recent.

• Muhammad's Hijra
• The Diamond Sutra, oldest dated printed book
• The Carolingian Renaissance
• The Vikings in Greenland
• Justinian's Code

2. Choose the right answer.

1. What is the whole collection of laws ordered by Justinian called today?

   • Edict of Milan
   • Corpus iuris civilis
   • Magna Carta
   • Twelve Tables

2. Where did Benedict of Nursia found his monastery?

   • At Ravenna
   • At Pavia
   • At Monte Cassino
   • At Salerno

3. Which Italian region is named after the Lombards?

   • Tuscany
   • Apulia
   • Liguria
   • Lombardy

4. What does the word ‘Hijra’ mean?

   • Prayer
   • Migration
   • Victory
   • Revelation

3. Match each person to what they did: write the right letter.

Storiascopio · texts by Ciro Simone Irmici, written with the help of AI and checked · sources in the online cards