Middle Ages
Isidore of Seville's Etymologies (c. 625): Encyclopedia of an Age
An unfinished 20-book encyclopedia that became one of the most copied and consulted reference works of the Middle Ages.
Era · c. 500 – 1500
Middle Ages
Kingdoms, crusades and plagues: the medieval world from the end of the Western Roman Empire to the fall of Constantinople.
Middle Ages
Sutton Hoo Ship Burial (c. 625): Anglo-Saxon Royal Treasure
One of the richest early medieval burials found in Europe, it transformed understanding of Anglo-Saxon wealth, craftsmanship and international contacts.
Middle Ages
Battle of Uhud (625): Defeat Near Medina and Its Lessons
Tactical Meccan victory; the Muslims lost about 70 men including Hamza, but the Quraysh withdrew without attacking Medina itself.
Middle Ages
Siege of Constantinople (626): Avars and Persians at the Walls
Byzantine victory; the Slav boats were destroyed in the Golden Horn and the Avar army withdrew, ending the threat to the capital.
Middle Ages
Xuanwu Gate Incident (626): Li Shimin Seizes the Tang Throne
Li Shimin killed the crown prince and another brother, was named heir within days and took the throne as Emperor Taizong two months later.
Middle Ages
Battle of the Trench (627): The Siege of Medina Repelled
The confederate siege failed and the besiegers withdrew; Mecca never again attacked Medina.
Middle Ages
Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (628): Truce Between Medina and Mecca
A ten-year truce was agreed; the Muslims turned back that year but won the right to make the pilgrimage in 629.
Middle Ages
Xuanzang's Journey to India (629–645): The Pilgrim Monk
Xuanzang returned with 657 Buddhist texts, translated a large share of them into Chinese and wrote a detailed record of the lands he crossed.
Middle Ages
Japanese Missions to Tang China (630–894): The Kentōshi
The missions transferred Tang law, Buddhism, learning and art to Japan until they were abandoned in 894.
Middle Ages
Conquest of Mecca (630): Muhammad Returns to His Home City
Mecca surrendered almost without resistance, the idols of the Kaaba were destroyed and the Quraysh accepted Islam and Muhammad's authority.
Middle Ages
Rashidun Caliphate (632-661): The First Four Caliphs
The early Muslim state expanded from Arabia to an empire from Libya to eastern Iran, then fell into civil war, ending with the rise of the Umayyads in 661.
Middle Ages
Daming Palace: The Grand Tang Palace in Chang'an (634)
The palace served as the political heart of the Tang empire from 663 until its destruction in the dynasty's final wars; its site is now an archaeological park.