1 The Middle Ages, or medieval times, spanned some 1,000 years in Europe, from about A.D. 500 to 1500.
2 In late 12th-century England, about one-third of the country was considered the king’s forest—no one could use it without his permission.
3 In the 13th century, German soldiers used their shields to carry victorious generals off the battlefield.
4 You can see 500-year-old graffiti of sailors’ names carved into stone at a village in Finland.
5 The average medieval person lived to about age 50.
6 Buttons on clothing were a sign of wealth.
7 Meals were often served on slabs of stale bread— not dinner plates.
8 For one royal wedding feast in 1251, English chefs prepared 7,000 chickens, 70,000 fish, and almost 70,000 loaves of bread.
9 Pies…
