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Revision as of 10:45, 21 October 2002 by Paul Barlow (talk | contribs) (definition)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Dark Ages is a term used to refer to the dark (in the sense of obscure) period in western Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire, when so-called 'barbarian', generally non-literate, tribes took over the land formerly in Roman Imprerial control. The lack of written history during this period, combined with political and social instability, meant that relatively little was known about events. Though archeological finds have changed this situation to some extent, much of the darkness remains.
There is no clear starting point, or ending point for the 'Dark Ages', though the five hundred year period from the Vandal attack on Rome to the first millenium