Y1K Spotlight: Western Europe Islands of Learning in the Dark Ages

First, let’s recall that one argument advanced by Renaissance historians as evidence that Western Europe was experiencing a ‘dark age’ in the year 1000 was: _______.

• Absence of learning

• the flourishing of arts and culture during that period

• the establishment of universities and educational institutions

• the rapid technological advancements in agriculture

Fill in the blank: _______ organized the system which European monasteries would follow for years. Emphasis was placed on learning and education.

• St. Joseph

• St. Peter

• St. Benedict

• St. David

Monks worked hard to copy books in a room called a _______.

• scriptorium

• library

• study

• workshop

Especially artful manuscripts were called _______ because the gold paint seemed to reflect the light.

• illuminated manuscripts

• transcribed manuscripts

• decorated scrolls

• gilded books

Invaders from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, called _______, disrupted monastic life for several centuries, and so disrupted the advance of learning in western Europe.

• Vikings

• Romans

• Huns

• Mongols

In the year 800, Charlemagne was crowned emperor of the _________.

• Holy Roman Empire

• Byzantine Empire

• Ottoman Empire

• Frankish Kingdom

A great warrior, Charlemagne also promoted learning, and his mini-revival of scholarship and education was called the _________.

• Carolingian Renaissance

• Renaissance of the North

• Medieval Revival

• Gothic Revival

Charlemagne's court at _________ became a gathering place for scholars from all over Europe. New schools were formed, each with a scriptorium, and new libraries were built. A new, more readable handwriting script was even formed, called the _________.

• Aachen; Carolingian script

• Paris; Gothic script

• Rome; Latin script

• Vienna; Romanesque script

England's only 'great' monarch, Alfred ruled in the late 9th Century and gained fame and prestige for _________ and promoting a revival of _________.

• Stoping Viking raids, learning

• military conquests, artists

• economic reforms, government

• religious conversions, reformation

Alfred sponsored the writing of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which was the first history of England written in _________.

• Spanish

• English

• Italian

• Catalan