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Contents
PAGE

0 Learning to learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
01 The Early Middle Ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
02 Feudal society . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
03 Medieval cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
04 Romanesque and Gothic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
05 Al-Andalus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
06 The Christian kingdoms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
07 The Age of Discovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
08 Political and economic change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
09 Renaissance and Reformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
10 The Spanish Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
11 Baroque . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
12 World population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
13 Society and diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
14 Rural and urban habitats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
15 European cities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
0 Key language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
0 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
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Learning to learn
A B C
ABOUT THIS BOOK
• Look at these
illustrations. Match
them to the units
on the opposite page.
Then look at the book.
Check your answers.

Unit ............................ Unit ............................ 1

Unit ............................

D E F G

Unit ............................ 8
Unit ............................ 11
Unit ............................ Unit ............................

H I J K

6
Unit ............................ Unit ............................ 7
Unit ............................ Unit ............................

L M N O

Unit ............................ Unit ............................ Unit ............................ Unit ............................

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YOU ALREADY KNOW A LOT!

Work with a classmate. How much do you already know?

THE EARLY MIDDLE AGES

What is Constantinople called today? Of which empire was it the capital?
Who were the Visigoths?
What was Al-Andalus? Are there any remains of Al-Andalus left in Spain today?
In feudal society, who had the most power? Who had the least power?

MEDIEVAL ART
Give some examples of Romanesque and Gothic art in Spain:
Romanesque: Church of San Esteban, Segovia, …
Gothic: Cathedral of León, …
Why were cathedrals important in medieval times?

DISCOVERIES
Which lands did Marco Polo explore?
What do you know about Christopher Columbus?
Who was the first explorer to sail around the world?
Who were Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro?

POLITICAL HISTORY
Can you name some of the Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula
in the Middle Ages?
Kingdom of Navarre, …
Who were the Catholic Monarchs? What do you know about them?
What do you know about Henry VIII, King of England?

RENAISSANCE AND BAROQUE CULTURE

Who were these people? Why are they famous?
Johannes Gutenberg; Nicolaus Copernicus; Leonardo
Da Vinci; El Greco; Cervantes; Newton; Vivaldi
What are Baroque buildings like? Can you name some?

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WORLD POPULATION
Which are the world’s most populated countries?
What has happened to the birth rate in Spain in recent years? Why?

RURAL AND URBAN HABITATS

What kind of area do you live in, rural or urban?
Do you live in a village, a town or a city?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of the place where you live?

EUROPEAN CITIES
Where do most people in Spain live, a town
or the country? Why?
Which are the biggest cities in Spain?
How are they different?

UNIT

1 The Early Middle Ages

Observe and think
After the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, three civilizations dominated Europe:
the Germanic kingdoms, the Byzantine Empire and Islam.

STUDY UNIT 1
• Which illustration belongs to each civilisation?
• What can you see in these pictures?
• Who do you think the people are?
• Why do you think the face of one person is not shown?

Look at page 6, the first page of Unit 1.

• What is the title of this unit?
Content objectives Key language
In this unit, you will: Historical recount; ordering events:

• What comes after the title? • Learn about the decline

of the Roman Empire
• Find out about life in the
Germanic kingdoms and
in the Byzantine Empire
At first, the Byzantine Empire…
Initially, the church was designed…
Six years later,…

Historical explanagtion; expressing cause and effect:

Thus, the western and eastern provinces…
• Learn about the founder Consequently, there was very little…
of Islam and the Koran

• How many different parts are there on the page? What are they about? • Compare maps of medieval
and present day Islam
Historical recount; locating events in time:
At the beginning of the 6th century,…
During the 7th and 8th centuries,…
By the 15th century,…

• What do you think you will learn about in Unit 1? 6

Now look at the rest of Unit 1.

• How many sections are there in this unit? • What is there at the end of the unit?
• How does each one begin? • What does the symbol 1 mean?
• Some words are in bold type. Why? • Where do you think you will find the web
• What are most of the illustrations about? task mentioned on page 17?
• There are many activities. Where are they? • What else is on the CD?

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UNIT

1 The Early Middle Ages

Observe and think
After the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, three civilizations dominated Europe:
the Germanic kingdoms, the Byzantine Empire and Islam.
• Which illustration belongs to each civilization?
• What can you see in these pictures?
• Who do you think the people are?
• Why do you think the face of one person is not shown?

Content objectives Key language

In this unit, you will: Historical recount; ordering events:
• Learn about the decline of the Roman At first, the Byzantine Empire…
Empire Initially, the church was designed…
• Find out about life in the Germanic Historical explanation; expressing
kingdoms and in the Byzantine Empire cause and effect:
• Learn about the founder of Islam and the Thus, the western and eastern provinces…
Koran Consequently, there was very little…
• Compare maps of medieval and
Historical recount; locating events in time:
present-day Islam
At the beginning of the 6th century,…
During the 7th and 8th centuries,…

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1. What were the Germanic migrations? 1

The decline of the Roman Empire

Germanic tribes lived to the north of the Roman
Empire. The Romans called them barbarians
(foreigners). The empire’s wealth and military JUTES

weakness led to a series of Germanic migrations ANGLO-SAXON

KINGDOM
BRITONS
across the frontier. Some of these were violent FRISIANS
invasions. SAXONS
SLAVS
ATLANTIC Cambrai
Roman control over its northern territories
OCEAN FRANKISH
gradually declined after the third century. THURINGIANS
KINGDOM
In 395, Emperor Theodosius divided the empire AVAR
KINGDOM
Burdigala
between his two sons to make it easier to defend. KINGDOM OF
KINGDOM Ravenna
Thus, the western and eastern provinces THE
OF THE LOMBARDS
became the Western Roman Empire Toledo

and the Eastern Roman Empire. VISIGOTHS Rome

Romulus Augustulus, the last emperor of the M e d i t e

Western Empire, was deposed in 476. r r a
n e
a
n
For some historians, this date marks the S
beginning of the Middle Ages. e
a
Byzantine Empire
Tri poli

The Germanic kingdoms

The centralized government of the Western Germanic Kingdoms in the 6th century
Empire was replaced by smaller kingdoms:
• The Franks, in France
• The Visigoths, in Spain
Activities
• The Ostrogoths, and later the Lombards,
in Italy 1. Are these statements true or false?
Correct the false sentences.
• The Angles and the Saxons,
a. The Germanic tribes came from Africa.
in Britain
b. Germanic tribes invaded Rome when
It was dangerous to travel. Consequently, the Romans were weak.
there was very little long-distance trade,
c. New cities and trade routes appeared after
and many industries disappeared. the fall of the Roman Empire.
Cities declined, and people moved to
d. Theodosius was the last emperor.
the countryside.
Cultural activity also declined. Some examples 2. What do you think?
of Germanic art have survived, such as a. What was the first meaning of barbarian?
small churches and attractive jewellery. Was it a Latin word? What does it mean
today?
At first, the Romans and the Germanic tribes
had different laws, customs and religions. b. Why did the Germanic tribes adopt Latin
as their language and Christianity as their
But they gradually intermingled, and in some
religion?
places, the Germanic peoples spoke Latin
and became Christians.

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2. Who were the Visigoths?

The Visigoths
The Visigoths entered the Roman Empire at the end of the 4th century
to escape from the Huns. In 410, the Visigoths attacked Rome.
Six years later, Honorius, the Emperor of the West, asked the Visigoths
for help to expel other Germanic peoples (the Suevi, the Vandals,
and the Alans) from the Iberian Peninsula. In exchange,
they received lands in south-east Gaul (France).
At the beginning of the 6th century, the Franks expelled the Visigoths
from Gaul. The Visigoths then went to the Iberian Peninsula.
They founded a kingdom, and made Toledo its capital.
The Visigothic kingdom reached its peak during the 6th and
7th centuries. King Leovigild extended his territory and made
new laws. His son Reccared became a Catholic, and his kingdom
also became Catholic.
During the second half of the 7th century, there was constant fighting
between the kings and nobles. The Visigothic kingdom disappeared
after the Muslim invasion in 711.
Visigothic crown

Visigothic weapons

Visigothic cross

Activity
1. Complete the timeline.
Copy this timeline in your notebook. Include essential events in the corresponding periods.
Then lengthen the timeline, add the years 410, 416 and 711, and write in the events which occurred then.

Early 6th century Early 7th century Late 7th century

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Activities
1. Read the text.
The Church of San Pedro de la Nave
The Visigothic church of San Pedro de la Nave is in the
town of Campillo, in Zamora. It was built between 680 and
the Muslim invasion in 711. Consequently, it is one of the
last works of Visigothic architecture. It is also one
of the finest.
The church was originally located on the banks of the
River Esla. However, in the 1930s when the Ricobayo
reservoir was built, the church was moved stone by stone
to its current site.
Initially, the church was designed in the shape of a Greek
Picture showing a Greek-cross plan:
cross, but two side aisles were later added. Like all
four arms of the same length
Visigothic churches it is not very big. The thick walls
are built with blocks of stone and have twin windows
which let very little light in.
The decoration inside the church has some outstanding
examples of Visigothic sculpture. There is a frieze with
plant and animal motifs. In addition, scenes from the
Bible, such as Daniel in the Lion’s Den and The Sacrifice
of Isaac, are sculpted on the columns in the church.

2. Complete the sentences.

a. San Pedro de la Nave is a in .
b. It was built before the in .
c. The church was originally located near the .
d. Gothic churches were than this church.
e. Reliefs showing scenes from the Bible can be seen
on the .
Interior of San Pedro de la Nave
3. Look at the photo of The Sacrifice of Isaac
and answer these questions.
a. Whose hand can you see in the corner?
b. What does it mean?

Exterior of San Pedro de la Nave The Sacrifice of Isaac, one of the Bible scenes
sculpted on a capital

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3. What was the Byzantine Empire like?

C
I

River
T
N

Danu
be
N

Caspian
A

Sea
L A

E
O C
A T

Genoa
Ravenna
Black Sea

Rome Narona
1453
Naples Constantinople
Córdoba Salonika Nicaea
Málaga
Cartagena
Ceuta Iconium

Cesarea Messina Athens Ephesus Tarsus

Carthage Syracuse Sparta Antioch

M Candia
e d
THE BYZANTINE EMPIRE i t e r r an ea n Se a Jerusalem
Territories lost by the Byzantine Empire
between 565-1025 Tripoli Cyrene Alexandria
Territories lost between 1025-1100

River N ile
Territories lost between 1100-1300
Territories lost between 1300-1453
Expeditions of Justinian’s generals
Turkish advance

The Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire A slow decline

The Eastern Roman Empire was richer than After Justinian’s death, the Byzantine Empire
the Western Roman Empire, and it resisted the began to lose territory.
Germanic invasions. It was known as the The Lombards conquered parts of Italy.
Byzantine Empire, and it lasted for another ten The Visigoths expelled the Byzantines from
centuries. Its capital city was Constantinople, the Iberian Peninsula. During the 7th and 8th
formerly Byzantium. centuries, the Muslims conquered the southern
and eastern coasts of the Mediterranean.
Justinian
By the 15th century, only Constantinople
The most important Byzantine emperor was remained. In 1453, the city was conquered
Justinian. He ruled with his wife Theodora by the Turks. For some historians, this marked
between 527 and 565. Justinian tried to rebuild the end of the Middle Ages.
the Roman Empire. His armies conquered many
territories in North Africa, the Iberian Peninsula
and Italy. Activity
Under Justinian: 1. Use a modern political map of Europe and find:

• The emperor, or basileus, had great a. The modern names of Byzantium

and Constantinople.
power. He commanded the army and
government, and he was also the religious b. Byzantine settlements which are now
capital cities.
leader.
c. Some modern countries which were part
• The famous Justinian Code modernised of the Empire.
Roman law.

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4. What were Byzantine religion and art like?

Tradition and religion
At first, the Byzantine Empire followed the traditions
Did you know?
of the Roman Empire. After Justinian’s reign, however, Hagia Sophia, in Constantinople,
it adopted an increasing number of Greek customs. was the most important church
in the Byzantine Empire, and a symbol
• Greek replaced Latin as the official language.
of the Orthodox faith.
• In 1054, there was a separation between the Roman
Catholic Church and the Byzantine Orthodox
Church, called the East-West Schism.
In the Byzantine Empire, religion affected life and
culture and caused disagreement. In the 8th century,
for example, the emperors tried to prohibit the worship
of holy images or icons. This decision caused numerous
riots.
About 10,000 workers built it using
Orthodox monks evangelized the peoples of Eastern materials from all around the
Europe. Today, Orthodoxy is the main form of Christianity Mediterranean. The four minarets were
in Russia, Lithuania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece added to the building when it was
and Macedonia. converted into a mosque in the 15th
century.Today it is a museum.
Art
The Byzantine Empire produced some impressive
religious art. They created:
• Churches with a Greek-cross plan and large domes.
The Hagia Sophia is the best example.
• Mosaics, which covered the walls and ceilings
of churches and palaces.

Activities
1. Look at the map on page 10 and study the text.
Then answer the questions.
a. Which territories were conquered by Justinian?
b. What happened to these territories after
his death?
c. List the most important cities in the Byzantine Empire.

2. Investigate.
a. What were the differences between the Greek
Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church?
b. What was the East-West Schism?
c. Why do we say that religion affected life in the
Byzantine Empire?
A mosaic from the Hagia Sophia

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5. What is Islam?
Muhammad, the founder of Islam Islamic religion
Arabia is a large peninsula in Asia, between the The Koran is the sacred book of the Muslims.
Red Sea and the Persian Gulf. The Arabs lived in Islamic doctrine says that all Muslims have five
tribes, and these tribes were often in conflict with obligations. These are called the five pillars of
each other. Each tribe had its own beliefs. All of their faith:
them, however, were polytheists, and Mecca was • Shahadah: to testify that ‘there is no other
their holy city. God but Allah and Muhammad is his
Muhammad was a merchant from Mecca. He prophet.’
learned about two monotheistic religions, Judaism • Salah: to pray five times a day.
and Christianity. Muhammad heard the call of
God, and preached a new religion: Islam. • Hajj: to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least
Islam taught that people should worship Allah, once in their lifetime if possible.
the Muslim name for their only God. • Sawm: to fast during the month of Ramadan.
The rich merchants of Mecca thought that • Zakah: to give alms to the poor.
Muhammad was a danger to society. Initially, Muslims spread their religion through
Consequently, he moved to Medina in 622. jihad or holy war. Today, only extremist groups
This date is known as the Hegira, and marks the believe in this idea.
start of the Muslim calendar. Muhammad formed
a powerful army, and in 628 he conquered Mecca.
From there, Islam spread throughout Arabia.

The inside of a prayer hall A mosque

Activity
1. Look at the pictures and read the text below.
Then copy the picture and label the parts
of a mosque. – A minaret. The muezzin calls Muslims
Muslims pray together at mosques. All mosques to prayer from here.
generally have: – A wall called a quibla.
– A large courtyard with an ablutions fountain – A prayer hall, where Muslims pray.
where Muslims wash before they pray. – A niche called a mihrab, which indicates
– A mimbar or pulpit. The imam leads the direction of Mecca.
the prayers from here.

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6. How did Islam evolve?

Samarkand
SLAVS Bujara
FRANKS
Caspian
Narbonne
Zaragoza Black Sea
Kabul
Sea
BYZANTINE ARMENIA Nisapur
AL ANDALUS
Córdoba Sharastan
PERSIA
EMPIRE Teheran
Palermo
Fez Ora n Algiers Baghdad Mansur
Marrakech
SYRIA
Kairuan MED
ITERR Damascus Shiraz
ANEAN SEA Basra Pe
Tri poli rs
Jerusalem ian
Alexandria  G
ulf

Cairo A r a b i a n OMAN

D e s e r t

S a h a r a D e s e r t Medina

R
e
ARABIA

d
THE EXPANSION OF ISLAM INDIAN

S
Mecca

e
a
Conquests at Mohammad’s death Expansion of the Orthodox caliphs
OCEAN
Conquests during the Ortodox caliphate Expansion of the Umayyad caliphs

Conquests during the Umayyad caliphate Expansion of the Abbasids

Aden
Abassids Main cities and caliphates

The expansion of Islam in the Middle Ages

The expansion of Islam A brilliant civilization

The highest authority of the empire was The Islamic economy was based on agriculture,
the caliph. The first four caliphs were craftsmanship and trade. Merchants travelled by
direct descendants of Muhammad. land and sea. They bought cloth and spices in
At first, the Muslim armies controlled the Asia, gold, ivory and slaves in Africa, and metals
entire Arabian Peninsula. In 661, Caliph Ali in Europe.
was assassinated and the Umayyad family Great cities included Damascus, Baghdad,
took power. Córdoba and Cairo. The souk, or market,
During the Umayyad period, the title was the centre of a city’s activity.
of caliph became hereditary. The Umayyads The Muslims introduced Asian inventions such as
moved the capital of the empire to Damascus. gunpowder and the compass. They invented the
They conquered many territories, use of zero, Arabic numerals, and algebra. They
from Persia to the Iberian Peninsula. also made important contributions to medicine.
In 750 a rebellion ended the Umayyad
dynasty and the Abbasid family came Activity
into power. Baghdad became the new capital
of the empire. 1. Investigate.
a. What kind of crops did the Muslims grow?
Internal fighting broke up the empire.
After the 13th century, the Turks were b. What irrigation techniques did they use?
the most powerful people in the c. What advances did they make in medicine?
Islamic world. The following website may help you:
http://www.muslimheritage.com/topics/
default.cfm

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7. What was the Carolingian Empire?

The Carolingian Empire
Frankish kingdom
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Territories conquered
by Charlemagne

A
Frankish kingdom was established in

SE
Marches
NORTH
France. The kings were weak. They Charlemagne’s residence PRINCIPALITY

C
SEA

TI
OF
handed power over to officials called Danish
BA
L
KIEV

Mayors of the Palace. The most ANGLO-SAXON

KINGDOMS
March
IA
important of these was Charles Martel. FR
IS SAXONY
NORTHERN

He defeated the Muslims in France, ATLANTIC Aachen Mainz

Sorbian SLAVS

R E March Eastern
at the Battle of Tours in 732. OCEAN
BRITTANY
Breton
Paris
N EM
P I March
IA
March NG Ratisbon
Pippin the Short, Martel’s son, defeated R OL
I Pannonian
March
CA
the last Frankish monarch in 751 and Lyon Milan
SOUTHERN
Bordeaux
became king. Pippin was succeeded CHRISTIAN
KINGDOMS PAPAL SLAVS
Spanish STATES
by his son Charlemagne, who wanted March DUCHY OF
SPOLETO
to restore the Western Roman Empire. AL ANDALUS
Rome
BYZANTINE
He conquered the Lombard kingdom EMPIRE
in Italy, defeated the Saxons, and took M E D I T E
R R
territories on the Iberian Peninsula. A
N
E
A N
In 800, the Pope crowned Charlemagne ISLAMIC KINGDOMS
S E A

as the new Emperor of the West.

The Carolingian Empire

Government
Charlemagne divided the Empire into
counties or administrative units. He
appointed military governors to control
the marches, or areas near the borders.
He sent missi dominici, or messengers, to
check on local affairs, and to ensure that
the system of government was functioning
properly.

The division of the Empire

According to custom, Charlemagne’s
kingdom was divided among his sons.
Charlemagne had one surviving son,
Louis the Pious. When he died, the
Empire was divided among his sons:
Charles, Louis and Lothair.
They signed the Treaty of Verdun (843),
which confirmed the division of the
Empire. When Lothair died, the kingdom
was divided between his two brothers.

The coronation of Charlemagne

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Activities

throne

ambulatory

octagonal floor plan

The Palatine Chapel in Aachen, Germany Interior of the Palatine chapel

1. Read the text. 2. Look at the map on page 14 and answer these
Charlemagne’s palace in Aachen questions.
Charlemagne made Aachen, in Germany, the capital a. Which modern countries formed part of the
of his empire, and he built his palace there. The city Frankish kingdom?
was easy to reach because it was on the River Rhine b. Which territories did Charlemagne
and had a Roman road. conquer?
The palace had many buildings. One of them was the
emperor’s residence. Another housed the audience 3. Read the definitions and decide what they
room and the room where the treasure was kept. refer to.
The palace also made use of some old Roman baths. a. It was the capital of Charlemagne’s
The only part of the palace that remains today is the empire.
Palatine Chapel. The emperor’s throne was here, b. The city was built on this river.
and, until the 16th century, it was the place where
c. There were many of these at the palace.
German emperors were crowned. Charlemagne was
buried here, too.
d. Only this part of the palace remains
The chapel was built using materials taken from
today.
Roman monuments. Many of them were brought
from Italy, including mosaics and other decorative e. Materials were taken from these to build
elements. the chapel.

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Activities
1. Comparing maps: Islam in the Middle Ages, and Islam today.

40°
UZ
AZE BE
RBA
IJA TUR KI
ST KYRGYZSTAN
ALBANIA N KM AN
EN
IST TAYIKISTAN
TURKEY AN
N
SYRIA TA

S
NI
TUNISIA LEBANON

N
IRAQ IRAN

GA

TA
MOROCCO

AF

IS
JORDAN
KUWAIT

K
PA
ALGERIA Tropic of Cancer
LIBYA QATAR BAHRAIN
BANGLADESH
EGYPT
WESTERN U.A.E.
SAHARA SAUDI (UNITED ARAB PACIFIC 20°
ARABIA EMIRATES)
OCEAN
MAURITANIA MALI OMAN
NIGER
SENEGAL BURKINA CHAD SUDAN YEMEN
GAMBIA FASO DJIBOUTI
GU
IN
E
NIGERIA
A

BRUNEI
SOMALIA MALDIVES MALAYSIA
Equator

I N
D O N
INDIAN E S I A

COMOROS
OCEAN

Countries where over 50 %

of the population is Islamic
0° 60° 90° 120°

Comparing maps is very useful. It allows us to see b. Look at the map on this page and analyse
the development of a territory, a civilization or change since the Middle Ages.
a religion over time. • When was the Islamic religion more
First, analyse each map separately. It is important widespread, now or in the Middle Ages?
to do this before you compare them. • Name some modern states where most people
Then, note the changes you see and also the things follow the Islamic religion.
which have remained the same. If you can, suggest • Which areas were Islamic in the Middle Ages
reasons for this. and still are today?
• Which areas were not Islamic in the Middle
a. Look at the map of the Middle Ages on page 13,
Ages but are today?
and answer these questions.
• How would you explain the advance of Islam
• Does it represent a specific date or a period of
since the Middle Ages?
time? Which centuries does it correspond to?
• Where was Islam established in the Middle Write down the results of your analysis.
Ages? Prepare a text with the title:
• Were there different states within Islamic A comparison between Islam in the Middle Ages
territory? and Islam today.
• Was there a great distance between the
eastern and western boundaries of Islamic
territory?

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2. Complete the table and compare civilizations.

Germanic Byzantine
Islam
kingdoms Empire
Who governed?
Was it a rural or an urban civilization?
What were their most important economic activities?
What was their religion?
Was it polytheistic or monotheistic?
What was its level of cultural development?

3. Study a technique: making mosaics. a. How do you make a mosaic? Put the steps
in order.
The Byzantines adopted the technique used in the • Cover the walls with three layers of plaster
Roman Empire for making mosaics. made of lime, sand and straw.
The Romans decorated their buildings with mosaic • Press the tesserae, or tiles, one by one into the
floors. Typical designs were scenes from daily life wet plaster to match the painted surface.
and mythology.
• Paint the design of the mosaic on the wet
The Byzantines represented the emperor or plaster.
religious scenes in their mosaics.
It would have been unacceptable to step on them, b. Describe the mosaic on the left: what it
and so these mosaics were used to cover the walls represents, how people dressed, and any
and ceilings of palaces and churches. interesting objects.
The irregularities in the mosaics captured the light c. Make your own mosaic.
and illuminated the walls. You need:
• a piece of card instead of a wall
• some glue instead of plaster
• magazines which you can cut up to make
your tiles

Web task 1: Islamic expansion /

the five pillars of Islam.

Byzantine mosaic in St. Luke’s Monastery, Greece

It represents Jesus washing the disciples’ feet.

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