Dark Ages (historiography)
As Dark Ages or Dark Ages (English Dark Ages ) are called periods, in which the history of a particular region due to lack of written sources or archaeological finds is no research to little. Often preceded these Dark Ages periods of time that are better known. The term was and is partially but also used exaggerated ( see below).
Term and problem
In a figurative sense are partly also times when the level of civilization is judged ( by wars, persecution, pestilence, for example ) to be relatively low, as dark or dark centuries. In these times can also be a decline of cultural production and thus the magazine production be recorded, thereby reducing the likelihood that informative written sources have been handed down, is reduced. The damage caused by epidemics or wars about decline in human population density also reduces the possibility of archaeological finds.
However, the term " dark age " in itself quite problematic. In the Renaissance humanists coined the topos of the "dark" or " dark ages " that preceded their own, now " enlightened times" and have darkened the mind in the religiously based dogmatism. In modern research, however, is judged much more differentiated.
In the English-speaking world, the term Dark Ages was partly applied negative judgmental on the entire Middle Ages. Aaron J. Guryevich writes:
In archeology, the term is applied mainly for the Anatolian, Greek and British " dark centuries ". Landsberger postulated a Babylonian / Assyrian dark age between Samsu - ditana and Ganda or Adasi, which he attributed to greater migration in Babylonia and Assyria.