As an introduction to the Middle Ages, this class will examine the three major medieval cultures: Christian Europe, Byzantium, and Islamic civilization, tracking patterns of internal developments and external connections to the rest of Eurasia and the world. Medieval people across Europe and the Mediterranean created unique and lasting cultures that reflected a complex mixture of religion, politics, warfare, cross-cultural contact, spirituality, and unmatched literary and artistic achievements. The course will cover major turning points (such as the rise of both Christianity and Islam, the crusades, and the Black Death) along with the cultural, technological, and religious developments of the period (such as castles, cathedrals, and universities.) (Group I)