Reading practice 44
The period that began with the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century and ended with the Renaissance in the fourteenth century has been referred to by many names: the Medieval period, the Middle Ages, and the Dark Ages. The writer Petrarch1 coined the latter name in the fourteenth century in an attempt to differentiate the culture of Medieval Europe from his own time. The popular conception at that time was that Europe was finally emerging from a cultural wasteland during which much of the ancient learning had been lost; Petrarch, like many other writers and artists of his time, wanted to connect his studies with those of antiquity, rather than those of more recent years. The name stuck, as did the idea that very little of cultural or intellectual importance took place during the years2 so described.
Many scholars have used the term "Dark Ages" to identify the lack of information available about the years between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance. Few written records exist from the early years and the documents that do exist don't always shed a great deal of light on the larger picture of what was happening in Europe. Some scholars, such as William Jordan in his new edition of the Dictionary of the Middle Ages, have argued that the term "Dark Ages" needn't be negative—it simply refers to the darkness caused by this lack of information.
That view, however, has been largely discredited. Even when used in a seemingly neutral way, "Dark Ages" has an inherently negative connotation in most people's minds. Moreover, other scholars point out that it is no longer accurate. Research continues to uncover information about the era that allows scholars to gain an ever more accurate idea of what life was like during the Middle Ages, while other research has helped historians gain a better understanding of the evidence they already possessed.
The goal of scholars such as Lindberg and Numbers is not to idealize the medieval world, or claim that it was filled with light and learning, but rather to balance the overly pessimistic views that are held by so many even today. No one would seriously dispute that, in some areas, learning did go into a decline after the fall of Rome. What modern medievalists, or medieval scholars, would point out is that while some areas diminished, others were able to flourish3. For example, three-dimensional, realistic art4 certainly became less common, and the ability to build a self-sustaining dome was lost for hundreds of years. However, symbolic art developed to such a level that a skilled artist could convey an entire legend in a single picture. Architects in the Middle Ages developed the flying buttress5 along with some of the most intricate stonework ever seen before or since. The key to understanding the Middle Ages is to avoid making assumptions based on prior assertions or possibly biased historians from the past, and to instead look at what was actually created6.
Perhaps it is finally time, then, for the term "Dark Ages" to pass out of not only scholarly but also casual speech. If the goal of historical study is to illuminate, not judge, a descriptive yet neutral term like "Middle Ages" might well serve more effectively. In the meantime, medievalists will continue studying the evidence they have in an attempt to understand the era that saw Western European culture transition into the modern era.7
