Timeline

Medieval

500 – 1492 CE · 5 events

The medieval millennium was shaped by movements of faith and conquest. Islam spread from the Arabian Peninsula with extraordinary speed, reaching the Iberian Peninsula and Central Asia within a century of the Prophet's death. Turkic pastoral federations reshaped Central Asia and Anatolia, the Vikings carved trade routes from Newfoundland to Byzantium, Romani communities migrated westward from South Asia, and the Mongol conquests produced the largest contiguous land empire in history — and catastrophic demographic disruption across Eurasia.

Dates are approximate. Ranges reflect current scientific consensus and are subject to revision as new evidence emerges.