[quote=@Fabulous Knight]
<Snipped quote by Kho>

[i]That[/i] didn't happen, either. Economics took a massive hit, but technologically and socially -- things only progressed.
[/quote]

I'd say that technology and social ethics progressed, but only within the realm of the church - the Dark Age is referred to as such for only the common European villager. Nobles upheld a certain amount of high living and reaped the benefits of such progressions, but a vast majority saw none of it. 'Sides, the Dark Ages were pretty dark. Lots of clouds, not a lot of sun, too much rain. Shit sucked if you lived in a thatch hut.