Collapse and Restructuring
Driving Question: How do human systems restructure themselves after catastrophes?
The collapse of empires such as the Roman Empire and Han Dynasty China, marked pivotal shifts in the Eurasian trading network. European historians once called the period after the fall of Rome a "dark age." Yet, a global perspective reveals a more complicated story. While Europe faced widespread societal disruption for a time, societies across the Americas and Afro-Eurasia didn’t collapse—they restructured. After the decline and collapse of major political powers like the Roman and Han empires, the societies they once ruled began rebuilding. These periods of restructuring after collapse were transformative—in some cases leading to a new “golden age.” This lesson challenges the notion of a universal decline, highlighting diverse responses to challenges and the resilient spirit of people living in many different societies during this period.
- Understand how historians create narratives to explain how societies rise and fall.
- Use close-reading skills to evaluate how communities and networks expanded and contracted during this period.
Regional Webs (200 to 1500 CE): Unit 5 Overview
Key Ideas
-
Guiding Questions
-
Before you watch
Preview the questions below, and then review the transcript.
While you watch
Look for answers to these questions:
- What sort of advice did Dhouda write to her son?
- What led to the period that historians once called “a dark age”?
- Why is the term “collapse” misleading?
- How did the lands once ruled by the Roman Empire restructure after its decline and fall?
After you watch
Respond to the following question:
- If a government were to collapse today, what sources of authority do you think people would organize around instead?
-
Guiding Questions
-
Note: For more detailed directions on completing the three close reads below, refer to the Three Close Reads – Introduction activity.
Skim
Before you read, you should quickly skim the article, by looking at the headings of each section and the charts. Read the questions below as well, so you know what to look for when you read!
Key Ideas
- What happened to the scale of communities, networks, and production and distribution between 200 and 1500 CE?
- How does the meaning of “collapse” vary when describing the fall of large states?
- Why are there mixed opinions about whether it’s accurate to call this time period a “dark age”?
- How did the emergence of Islam in the seventh century impact communities and networks?
- What patterns of growth and decline were happening outside of Eurasia in this time period?
Evaluate
- The author notes the importance of considering changes and continuities when study history. Can you identify examples of changes and continuities from your personal history? How does examining changes and continuities add value when learning about history?
- Based on what you know so far, what do you predict will be the most significant changes and continuities between Unit 4 and Unit 5? Explain your choices.
Frames in Unit 5
Key Ideas
-
Guiding Questions
-
Before you watch
Before you watch the video, it’s a good idea to open and skim the video transcript. And always read the questions below so you know what to look and listen for as you watch!
While you watch
- What is the typical view of human history through the three frames?
- What changes happened after collapse, through each of the three frames?
- What is significant about Ireland and the Islamic world? What are they examples of?
- What is the purpose of investigating both decline and recovery in the context of the three frames?
After you watch
- This video mentions places where recovery happened quickly and others where recovery was slow. Using one of the three frames, what types of factors would make recovery faster or slower?
