Western Europe before 1000 was a difficult place to live for peasants, with cold weather and a lack of political, economic, and environmental stability. After 1000, changes included developments in politics, human interactions with the environment, and economics, while social structure, political structure, culture, and some economic aspects remained the same. The Byzantine Empire was politically similar to Tang and Song China and Islamic civilization under the Umayyads, influencing many regions while maintaining a political structure like Western Europe at the time.

1. European Civilizations
Review

2. Western Europe before 1000
Why would it have been a terrible place?
• If you were a peasant
• If you liked warm weather
• If you loved Silk or Porcelain or Spices
• Politically
• Economically
• In Environment

3. Western Europe after 1000
What changed?
• In Politics?
• In human interaction with the environment
• In Economics
• In gender roles
What stayed the same?
• In Social Structure
• In Political structure
• In Culture
• In Economics

4. Western Europe before 1000
• What were unifying factors?
• What were similarities between Western
Europe and China after the Han dynasty?

5. Byzantine Empire
• How was it similar to Western Europe at the
same time?
• What was the political structure?
• Which regions of the world did Byzantium
influence?
• How was Byzantium like Tang and Song China
politically?
• How was Byzantium like Islamic civilization
under the Umayyads?