SoA Forums

It's a lot about time. Importance of having services at the right time of day links to astronomy and timekeeping to clocks.

I've not read it...

 

I can't look at sunken wrecks as they give me the heeby jeebies. Anything to do with the Titanic I just avoid *shudders*

Cadiz is of course Europe's oldest city. Years ago I read 8th century BC but a quick check on Wikipedia suggests even older. But as article suggests remains are rare. There are some bits and pieces, a few foundations but not a wow! for the museums.( Lots more Roman stuff there.)

I can only suggest reading Seb Falk's 'The Light Ages'. A very good read although it does deal more perhaps towards the end rather than the beginning of this period.

 

I like your thinking Jim

Dark Ages works well in Britain, whereas medieval covers a thousand years and so having early, middle and late medieval begs the question 'When will be have Early medieval II which was later on the western side of the English channel to the eastern side 

Feudal doesn't work at all for me, as there are issues with how 'feudal' feudal systems actually were and for much of the time the start or end of feudalism was very different in different countries or even parts of countries.
For example whilst Scots Kings raised some troops by something that might be equated to feudal service, most of the army was raised by other means.
Same with England, at what time did the feudal period end in England?

If we're going to have a vague term with uncertain time limits we might as well have one that important people disapprove of 

I probably on balance prefer early medieval but happily will use Dark Ages personally

There is nothing wrong with arbitrary terminology as historical short-hand - where would history books be without it?  When it begins to confuse rather than help (e.g. it is full of misleading baggage), you need to take care though.  I personally prefer Early Medieval.

We should also note that, as usual, it is a Eurocentric term and has limited meaning in other places. Was the Islamic world or China in a "dark age" at the time, for example?