Early Middle Ages

The Early Middle Ages is a time period in European history from about 500 AD until 1000 AD. During this period, Europe was rebuilding after the fall of the Roman Empire. People stopped living in cities and moved to rural areas, and some of the old Roman laws and ways of life changed. Many lords, kings, and other powerful people emerged, and they divided up the land and made new laws to control the people and protect them from invaders. Churches were important during this time and had a lot of influence. They provided education, helped the poor, and held religious services for the people. Life during this time was often hard, but it laid the groundwork for the later Middle Ages.