{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.middle-ages","code":"thing-q12554","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/q12554/","name":"Middle Ages","alternateNames":["medieval video game"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.2","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Activities and processes","entryKind":"thing","plane":"ACT","domain":["ACT.PRC"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":[],"facets":{}},"whatItIs":"The period of European history conventionally spanning from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century to the late fifteenth century, divided into early, high and late medieval periods, marked by feudal societies, the Christian church, Byzantine and Islamic neighbours, universities, cathedrals, plague and the rise of states; the term is European in origin and applied with care to other regions, and the period is widely represented in modern culture and games.","purpose":"Let an agent describe the Middle Ages by period and theme with attribution, correct common myths, relate medieval history to other regions carefully, and separate modern medievalism and games.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["European periodisation","Feudal and ecclesiastical structures","Contested boundaries","Rich cultural legacy"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"describe","name":"Describe","description":"The period.","layers":[{"id":"periods","name":"Periods","description":"Sub-periods.","findings":[{"id":"periods-finding","name":"Periods","description":"Sub-periods.","questions":[{"text":"What characterises the early, high and late Middle Ages, according to historians?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How are the boundaries of the period debated?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"themes","name":"Themes","description":"Themes.","findings":[{"id":"themes-finding","name":"Themes","description":"Themes.","questions":[{"text":"What is known about medieval society, economy, religion, learning, art and daily life for this region and period?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits a specific event or institution?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"myths","name":"Myths","description":"Correcting misconceptions.","layers":[{"id":"darkages","name":"Dark Ages","description":"The Dark Ages myth.","findings":[{"id":"darkages-finding","name":"Dark Ages","description":"Myths.","questions":[{"text":"Which popular beliefs about the Middle Ages, such as universal ignorance or flat-earth belief, are rejected by historians?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Where do these myths come from?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"global","name":"Global","description":"Beyond Europe.","findings":[{"id":"global-finding","name":"Global","description":"Beyond Europe.","questions":[{"text":"How do historians treat the term Middle Ages for regions outside Europe, such as the Islamic world, Africa and Asia?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which alternative periodisations exist?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"sources","name":"Sources","description":"Studying the period.","layers":[{"id":"primary","name":"Primary","description":"Primary sources.","findings":[{"id":"primary-finding","name":"Primary","description":"Primary sources.","questions":[{"text":"Which manuscripts, chronicles, charters and archaeological sources document this topic, and where are they held?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How are they read and dated?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"visit","name":"Visit","description":"Medieval heritage.","findings":[{"id":"visit-finding","name":"Visit","description":"Heritage.","questions":[{"text":"Which medieval sites and collections can be visited here?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"How are they protected?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"culture","name":"Culture","description":"Medievalism.","layers":[{"id":"medievalism","name":"Medievalism","description":"Modern representations.","findings":[{"id":"medievalism-finding","name":"Medievalism","description":"Medievalism.","questions":[{"text":"How do films, novels and video games represent the Middle Ages, and how accurate are they, according to historians?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is a medieval-themed game or fiction meant rather than history?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"teach","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","findings":[{"id":"teach-finding","name":"Teach","description":"Teaching.","questions":[{"text":"How can the Middle Ages be taught accurately and engagingly?","kind":"action"},{"text":"Which misconceptions arise?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain the Middle Ages with sources, noting scholarly debate about periods and terms.","Distinguish history from myth, fiction and games."],"mustNot":["Repeat Dark Ages myths as fact.","Apply the European periodization to other regions without saying so.","Invent sources, quotes or events.","Use the medieval past to support claims of racial or religious superiority."],"requiresHuman":["Publishing educational material or historical claims for official use."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Medieval history is misused by extremist movements.","Jewish, Muslim and other minorities of the period are often erased."],"affectedParties":["Students and the public","Religious and ethnic communities","Historians"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody: a historical period studied by historians and held in archives.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"Q2198855","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"historical period","type":"related","note":"category"},{"target":"Renaissance","type":"related","note":"next period"},{"target":"historical region","type":"related","note":"medieval regions"},{"target":"religious text","type":"related","note":"medieval manuscripts"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.middle-ages","Wikidata: Q12554 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12554)"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":[]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Roughly fifth to fifteenth century Europe","Early, high and late subdivisions","The Renaissance and early modern period follow","Not physical; a historical period."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["describe periods and themes with sources","correct myths","discuss the term beyond Europe","separate modern medievalism"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Dark Ages myths","Eurocentric application to other regions","Confusing fiction and games with history"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Periodisation conventions in historiography","Heritage protection for medieval sites","No regulation of interpretation"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["A period of European history.","early Middle Ages","high Middle Ages","late Middle Ages","medieval history of neighbouring regions","medievalism in modern culture and games"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Wikidata item Q12554: Middle Ages","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12554","note":"identity and sense of the item"},{"title":"Wikipedia: Middle Ages","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages","note":"general description of the item"}],"openQuestions":["Should each sub-period be a separate entry?","How should source collections be linked?","How should medievalism be linked?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-q12554/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-q12554/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-11T21:45:44Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-06T19:51:54+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: Wikidata description; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane ACT: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}