When were the "dark ages"?

[Ingsoc]

One should not forget that the term itself originated in the Renaissance, a time that scholars had great admiration for the classical world and saw its collapse as a great catastrophe which destroy western civilization until the present Renaissance age arrive and restore it.

 

So discarding the term in favor of the Middle Ages in not without reason, not saying that the end of the classical world wasn't a great disaster, it was, but not all was dark and bleak in the centuries between the collapse of the ancient world to the Renaissance.

[Ursus]

Ok .... most of the objections to "Dark Age" seem to be because it allegedly conveys a negative connotation on the cultural level of the times.

 

I thought "Dark Age" was not necessarily a reflection of the quality of life during those times, but a commentary on the relative lack of historical knowledge. As in, the period between Rome's Fall and the Rise of Charlamagne is poorly documented compared to what came before and what came after.

 

 

[Melvadius]

In the view of several current experts on the period the particular objection to retain the 'Cark Ages' terminology due to a perceived lack of sources for the period has become increasingly untenable.

 

As I understand it they counter this long held view by citing numerous sources across Europe as once you get away from Britain there really are significant quantities of original material available.

[caldrail]

Hence the desire to call it the 'Early Medieval Period' instead. Personally I'm not bothered by the terminology at all. Dark Age is fine with me - it's just a convenient label.

[iolo]

I am interested in learning about and playing in Dark Ages Britain. As it is likely to be some time before I can get time to model an army I am looking at learning as much as I can about the period. While there seem to be plenty of books on the post-romaa pre-conquest Britain many have mixed reviews on Amazon and the like. Can anyone recommend good books on the period. I would also be interested in any good fiction set in the period.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Try the editorial in British Archaeology 111, March-April 2010. It mentions some useful texts, weighing them up somewhat.

[caldrail]

I am interested in learning about and playing in Dark Ages Britain. As it is likely to be some time before I can get time to model an army I am looking at learning as much as I can about the period. While there seem to be plenty of books on the post-romaa pre-conquest Britain many have mixed reviews on Amazon and the like. Can anyone recommend good books on the period. I would also be interested in any good fiction set in the period.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Try the editorial in British Archaeology 111, March-April 2010. It mentions some useful texts, weighing them up somewhat.

 

Or my post on Mons Badonicus, which includes descriptions of armed forces from welsh poetry of the later period.

 

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=10750&st=0#entry102417