Why was the middle age also called the dark age?

Answer 1

i don't know i am looking for the same answer
"Dark Ages" doesn't mean Middle Ages, at least not according to the "official" definition found in dictionaries and history books. It applies only to the Early Middle Ages (476-1000). In the 19th century, Dark Ages=Middle Ages was the standard definition. But later it was shown that Europe experienced an economic recovery around 1000. EMA is considered to be a period of total economic collapse, without coinage, trade, or cities.
Because they had so many 'knights'.

"Dark Ages" is from Latin "saeculum obsurum", a phrase coined by Italian historian Caesar Baronius in the 17th century. He was referring to the 10th century and used the phrase because relatively few archival documents survived from this time. In the 19th century, the phrase was used to refer to the Middle Ages (476-1453). In modern times, the phrase usually refers to the 500 to 1000 period, the early part of the Middle Ages.

Roman civilization peaked around 150. This was followed by a cooling of the climate, a decline in agriculture, and the substantial reduction of urban life. Classical learning was lost and what learning remained was religiously based. There were barbarian invasions and Rome itself was repeatedly sacked.

By the end of this period, improvement in the climate, the three field system, and the heavy plow allowed agriculture to again generate a surplus and urban life was reestablished.
"Dark Ages" is from Latin "saeculum obsurum", a phrase coined by Italian historian Caesar Baronius in the early 17th century. He was referring to the 10th century and used the phrase because relatively few archival documents survive from this time.

In the 19th century, "Dark Ages" was just another word for Middle Ages (476-1453). In the early 20th century, historians such as Henri Pirenne demonstrated that Europe recovered economically around 1000. After this, historians began to restrict use of the phrase Dark Ages to the Early Middle Ages (476-1000).
Not much progress was made in the Middle Ages compared to the ancient times and the modern times.
The term "Dark Ages" has been obsolete and out of use since the 1970s. No historian ever uses that term any more. It was never used to describe the whole of the Middle Ages - that is an entirely false idea.

It used to be applied to the period between the collapse of the western Roman Empire and 1066, on the basis that so little was known about that era (due to an acute shortage of documentary and archaeological evidence) that it was "dark" in the sense of mysterious and unknown.

After the mid-1970s more intensive and scientific archaeological techniques meant that more information on the period became available, more finds were made and better knowledge of the period became widespread. The period then became known as the Saxon/Viking era.

Up until very recently this Saxon/Viking era was not included with the Middle Ages, but was treated as completely separate - in Scandinavian countries (where the Vikings originated) it still is so treated today. Today it has become fashionable to include the Saxon/Viking era with the medieval period - some people use the term "Early Medieval".

Many historians, however, still begin the medieval era in 1066 and treat the Saxon/Viking period as separate; others begin the medieval period with the collapse of the western Roman Empire. There is definitely no agreement on this point.

But there is agreement that "Dark Ages" is a term long abandoned and forgotten.

Most people do not use these terms to mean the same thing.

Most historians I have read do not use the term Dark Ages at all, because it is considered misleading.

During the Middle Ages, the term Dark Ages came into use, to indicate a time when there was little writing. The term Middle Ages was also developed by different writers to mean the same thing, but with somewhat different dates. Writers of the Renaissance changed the meanings of the terms again, as did more modern writers.
The Dark Ages is a term for the early middle ages, from the fall of the Western Roman Empire up to about the year 1000. Historians rarely use this term.

The term Dark Ages comes from the fact that there was a massive decline in civilization in Western Europe during this period. Populations decreased, urban centers shrank or collapsed, long distance trade declined, and literacy nearly disappeared outside of the church. Technology and engineering skills faltered and material culture vastly regressed.
The Middle Ages and the Dark Ages were not the same thing. Some historians make the Dark Ages a period of about 500 years, from the 5th to 10th century, before the Middle Ages, also a period of 500 years, but from the 10th century to th 15th. Other historians make the Dark Ages the first half of the Middle Ages, a period of 1000 years from the 5th to 15th centuries. I think most historians do not use the term Dark Ages at all, but call the period the Early Middle Ages.
The term "Dark Ages" has been obsolete and out of use since the 1970s. No historian ever uses that term any more. It was never used to describe the whole of the Middle Ages - that is an entirely false idea.

It used to be applied to the period between the collapse of the western Roman Empire and 1066, on the basis that so little was known about that era (due to an acute shortage of documentary and archaeological evidence) that it was "dark" in the sense of mysterious and unknown.

After the mid-1970s more intensive and scientific archaeological techniques meant that more information on the period became available, more finds were made and better knowledge of the period became widespread. The period then became known as the Saxon/Viking era.

Up until very recently this Saxon/Viking era was not included with the Middle Ages, but was treated as completely separate - in Scandinavian countries (where the Vikings originated) it still is so treated today. Today it has become fashionable to include the Saxon/Viking era with the medieval period - some people use the term "Early Medieval".

Many historians, however, still begin the medieval era in 1066 and treat the Saxon/Viking period as separate; others begin the medieval period with the collapse of the western Roman Empire. There is definitely no agreement on this point.

But there is agreement that "Dark Ages" is a term long abandoned and forgotten.
literacy and education declined

AnswerIt was "dark" because there was no learning taking place and 90% of the population couldn't read or write. Any advancements made by Rome were lost when it fell so there was no building of new roads, repair of old roads, no exploration, no inventions, no science, no intellectual thinking, people were living on a basic level and ruled by stronger men. Entirely different answerThe people of the so called Dark Ages were less likely than those who came earlier or later to record things in writing. This was the result of a trend that started with the Crisis of the Third Century, two hundred years before the Dark Ages began, and which ended during the Dark Ages. Nevertheless, it gave the people of the Renaissance, who like thinking of themselves as the equals of the Roman Empire in culture and learning, an excuse to call the time Dark. Unfortunately, some modern people still cling to the myths they created.

There were plenty of advancements in the Dark Ages, including the rise of the Carolingian Empire, which was the largest country in western Europe since the Roman Empire, and is larger than any country in the area today. It was a time of scientific advancement, including the introduction of stirrups, the European style wheelbarrow, the heavy plow, three field crop rotation, and the horse collar, all of which improved agricultural efficiency beyond what the Roman Empire had known. And it was a time when many people were educated In fact, King Alfred the Great had a policy aimed at getting all people of England of the rank of freeman and up educated to read and write in English.

The trend of historians today is not to call the time the Dark Ages, because the term is misunderstood and leads to poor understanding of the times. The term Early Middle Ages is used by most historians instead.

There are links below to articles on the subject. The article on the Dark Ages deals much more with the term than with the time. The article on the Early Middle Ages describes the time. There is a link to Medieval technology. For reference, there are links to articles on the Carolingian Empire and the cultural policies of Alfred the Great. I am also including a link to articles on the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna and Anglo saxon Art, to satisfy the curiosity of anyone who might like to know these people were doing.
Because they were. The time of the Renaissance had past, Rome had fallen, and future enlightenment had not come.
Following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, a great decrease occurred in the amount of literature, art, and architecture produced. A temporary reversal occurred during the time of Charlemagne through the reign of Charles the Bald. The great flowering of the Renaissance began in Italy starting around 1150.
they lived underground
The Dark Ages were a time when very few people were keeping records of history. This made the time obscure, or "dark," to historians.
The dark ages; as a literary term, was named as a period of civilizations decline or at least, stagnation for several hundred years.

To further understand why, you must compare it to the other ages of man before and after.

The ages of man are literary terms vaguely named after their technology or intellectual growth periods in which civilized portions of the world made progress.

Different societies have used varying terminology to describe these periods of time and the colorful language used in the naming of the ages often reflects more of an artistic concept than an actual track record of technological progress.

One of the oldest named is the stone age, a reference to a period of time when mankind lived in caves or stone shelters and used stones for tools. Later terms such as the bronze age, the iron age and so on reference the growth of civilization to use such materials.

Greek literature uses references such as the heroic age; while historically inaccurate the term is meant to discuss the mythical past where mankind lived with the gods and heroes of literature walking the Earth.

Regardless; after thousands of years of civilizations progress the dark age represents a set back, primarily in thought and education. While past civilizations like the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians and others had marked technological and literary growth periods, the dark ages for Europe were filled with plagues, religious persecution and deliberate attempts at keeping the mass public from obtaining cultured education.

The Renaissance period which followed the dark ageby contrast is considered a huge step forward, most notably in a more open attitude towards the arts and education. While there were still instances of oppression and slavery, the civilized world as a whole was at least once again making progress towards further enlightenment.

The naming of the ages or periods of man is still technically open to interpretation as different cultures and societal sources have given them different names; but the older more widespread terms (such as the dark ages) are taught for historical value as it gives a more colorful way to comprehend a time period as a whole before delving into the details of what actually took place during those years.

Answer 2

The Middle Ages are referred to as the "Dark" Ages because of the lack of written record. The aspect of writing had become something only priests were able to do. With the lack of writing there is very little for historians to find en"light"enment about the period, hence the term the "Dark" Ages.

Answer 3

The Dark Ages were the Early Middle Ages, traditionally from 476 to 1000 or 1066. They are a time from which few writings survive, so they are assumed to be a time during which most people were illiterate, an assumption that is reinforced in some of the few records we have. They are called the Dark Ages because there is less known about them than the times before and after.