Barbarians to angels
the dark ages reconsidered
- ISBN: 9780393060751
- Editorial: W.W. Norton & Company Ltd.
- Fecha de la edición: 2008
- Lugar de la edición: New York. Estados Unidos de Norteamérica
- Encuadernación: Cartoné
- Medidas: 22 cm
- Nº Pág.: 213
- Idiomas: Inglés
The barbarians who destroyed the glory that was Rome demolished civilization along with it. For the next four centuries, the peasants and artisans of Europe barely held on. Random violence, mass migration, disease, and starvation were the only constants of life. This is the picture of the Dark Ages that most historians promote. But recent archaeological finds tell a different story. In this book, Peter S. Wells surveys these discoveries and constructs a picture of a vibrant period that was not "dark" at all. The kingdoms of Christendom that emerged starting with the reign of Charlemagne in the late eighth century sprang from a robust, previously little-known European culture, albeit one that left behind few written documents. This recently recognized civilization achieved new heights in artistry, technology, craft production, commerce, and learning.