Early Middle Ages Ī major plague epidemic struck the Mediterranean, and much of Europe, in the 6th century. Some have connected this demographic transition to the Migration Period Pessimum, when a decrease in global temperatures impaired agricultural yields. European population probably reached a minimum during the extreme weather events of 535–536 and the ensuing Plague of Justinian (541–542). 260), and the Crisis of the Third Century. Proximate causes of the population decrease include the Antonine Plague (165–180), the Plague of Cyprian (250 to c. Serious gradual depopulation began in the West only in the 5th century and in the East due to the appearance of bubonic plague in 541 after 250 years of economic growth after the troubles which afflicted the empire from the 250s to 270s. During the period from 150 to 400, with the intermittent appearance of plague, the population of the Roman Empire ranged from a high of 70 to a low of 50 million, followed by a fairly good recovery if not to the previous highs of the Early Empire. Only 40% as many Mediterranean shipwrecks have been found for the 3rd century as for the 1st. Late Antiquity saw various indicators of Roman civilization beginning to decline, including urbanization, seaborne commerce, and total population.
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Because the data are often incomplete and/or ambiguous, there can be significant disagreement among medieval demographers. The science of medieval demography relies on various lines of evidence, such as administrative records, wills and other types of records, archaeological field data, economic data, and written histories.
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Population levels began to recover around the late 15th century, gaining momentum in the early 16th century. The population of Europe remained at a low level in the Early Middle Ages, boomed during the High Middle Ages and reached a peak around 1300, then a number of calamities caused a steep decline, the nature of which historians have debated. Demography is considered a crucial element of historical change throughout the Middle Ages. It estimates and seeks to explain the number of people who were alive during the Medieval period, population trends, life expectancy, family structure, and related issues.
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Medieval demography is the study of human demography in Europe and the Mediterranean during the Middle Ages. The peasants preparing the fields for the winter with a harrow and sowing for the winter grain, from The Very Rich Hours of the Duke of Berry, c.