Western Europe lost knowledge of Africa after Rome’s collapse

Evidence

It seems that the fall of the Roman Empire disrupted significantly the supply of papyrus throughout the Mediterranean world; parchment became the standard replacement. — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 85 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: The ‘Negro’ category erased Africa’s contributions to Western civilization; Medieval Europe’s intellectual labor was transmission of Arabic-held knowledge rather than invention; Medieval racial classification from Noah’s sons seeded later European denials of African achievement (+9 more)

Related

• The fall of Rome disrupted papyrus supply, making parchment the standard (similarity 0.78)
• Roman-period provincial Egypt was more literate than medieval Europe before the 1800s (similarity 0.78)
• Rome’s chief library legacy was the shift from papyrus to parchment. (similarity 0.78)
• Many commentators made direct comparisons between contemporary Western society and the fall of ancient Greece and ancient Rome. In her book Because They Hate, Brigitte Gabriel wrote, ‘What brought… (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Medieval Europe’s intellectual labor was transmission of Arabic-held knowledge rather than invention #corroborates (0.60)
• The fall of Rome disrupted papyrus supply, making parchment the standard #expands (0.60) — Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen, The Library- A Fragile History, 85
• The ‘Negro’ category erased Africa’s contributions to Western civilization #expands (0.50)
• Medieval racial classification from Noah’s sons seeded later European denials of African achievement #expands (0.50)
• The Negro construct reversed 3,000 years of African-European relations #expands (0.50)
• Many commentators made direct comparisons between contemporary Western society and the fall of ancient Greece and ancient Rome. In her book Because They Hate, Brigitte Gabriel wrote, ‘What brought… #exemplifies (0.50)
• Roman-period provincial Egypt was more literate than medieval Europe before the 1800s #corroborates (0.50) — , The Rod and the Child, 1569
• Pre-war Western thought deemed African belief illogical idolatry #expands (0.45)
• The African-European relationship inverted over three millennia before the Negro #qualifies (0.45)
• The concept of Rome’s fall remains a relevant cautionary tale today. #exemplifies (0.40) — Stephen Kershaw, A Brief History of the Roman Empire, 1852