Why is it difficult to find out about the middle ages?

Answer 1

At one time, it was indeed very difficult to find information from and about the Middle Ages, but it is becoming easier and more well known over time.

There are many reasons why it has been difficult to get information, but one of the important ones is that very few people could read or write. Consequently, there were few reading materials because there was no demand for them.

Main sources of information during that time were: royal court records; records written by monks; and legal documents like wills, property ownership, disputes, and such. Royal court records and legal documents were carefully preserved, but historical records written by monks were typically written in Latin and not translated until centuries later, if at all during those centuries.

The Middle Ages were a time when information was suppressed. Knowledge is a powerful thing. There was even a time when the political/religious powers were so threatened by people gaining knowledge, that they burned any books they could find. Many reasons were offered for this such as books being evil, but the truth was that it was easier to control people who had no knowledge. Consequently, it was hoarded by a select few in power.

Today, we are learning much more about those times. Our scholars are highly educated and can read and translate ancient Latin. Many old manuscripts now have translations. Our technology also allows enables us to do rough translations of foreign languages. Members of educational institutions have researched and written a vast number of historical books based on those old records.

But best yet is that Google/Alphabet has been scanning in old, old record books and making them available for free to anyone who wishes to use them. Some of those books are in the original languages and some are very early translations. On Google, I have found books from the 1400s that are translations of monastic histories from as early as the 900s.

There is still an untold amount of information that is not known about the Middle Ages, but we are learning more with each succeeding day.

Answer 2

Actually, it isn't considering how long ago it was, but one of the problems is historical evidence. Things rot, disappear, get built over, and there is little written evidence. 90% of the population couldn't read or write and few records were kept for birth, death, and marriage. It is a matter of taking the items that are found, where they are found, and putting them together with what is known.