4 ms·
Yes, I understand. I did mean it like that. My point was that the material capability of the societies in the area of the former Western empire to record thin
by retrac 4y ago
Yes, I understand. I did mean it like that. My point was that the material capability of the societies in the area of the former Western empire to record things, to write history, the sheer number of literate people with surplus time and access to writing materials, the inclination and ability to preserve existing documents, etc. -- that seems to have sharply contracted during the period in question. Is that not then a Dark Age in the historical records sense?
- thaumasiotes 4y agoYes, writing is significant and its (whole or partial) disappearance coincides with a great deal of societal trauma. But the trauma isn't why a period deserves to be called a dark age. It's called a dark age because it's hard to see.