What happened in the world during Medieval Times?

1. The Roman Empire The Romans ruled most of Europe and the Middle East for 500 years.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE The collapse of the Roman Empire led to a time period called Medieval Europe around AD 500.

2. The Byzantine Empire Also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire was based in modern day Turkey.

THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE Constantinople was its capital city and it lasted 1,000 years longer than the Western Roman Empire.

3. The Islamic Empire Islam is a religion established in the AD 600s. This religion spread throughout the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Europe (especially Spain).

THE ISLAMIC EMPIRE The leaders of Islam created an empire from conquered territory that challenged Europe for control of the Holy Land.

4. West African Trading Kingdoms Islam spread to West Africa where trading kingdoms had developed.

WEST AFRICAN TRADING KINGDOMS These kingdoms were known as Ghana, Mali, Songhai and created great wealth in gold and salt.

5. Imperial China Dynasties ruled China for thousands of years. Two of the most artistic and important dynasties were the Tang and Song dynasties.

They ruled over a “Golden Age” of artistic and scientific achievement. IMPERIAL CHINA They ruled over a “Golden Age” of artistic and scientific achievement.

6. Medieval Japan Japan suffered from a period of warfare and confusion. This brought about a system of government known as feudalism. In this government, the military, with the use of samurai warriors, controlled the country.

7. The Americas: Maya, Aztec, Inca North and South America were ruled by 500 different native groups before the arrival of Columbus in 1492.

THE MAYA The Maya achieved great things. They developed one of the first writing systems in the world. Mayan Numbers

THE AZTEC AND INCA The Aztecs and Inca created huge empires through military conquest and strong systems of government.

8. Medieval Europe Europe fell in to chaos and warfare after the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

MEDIEVAL EUROPE Kings They used the system of feudalism, knights, and castles to control and protect the people of Europe Lords Knights Peasants

Renaissance Exploration Renaissance Scientists 9. Renaissance Europe Europe eventually recovered from the Fall of Rome and the battles of the Middle Ages to bring in a time period of incredible artistic, scientific, and technological advancements which led to advancement in exploration as well. Renaissance Exploration Renaissance Scientists Renaissance Art

RENAISSANCE EUROPE The ideas of the Renaissance helped create the foundations of our modern world.

Which topic are you most interested in learning about? The Fall of Rome & The Byzantine Empire Which topic are you most interested in learning about? Imperial China Medieval Japan Medieval Europe