This title explains how this important period unfolded in all major world regions. The period we know as the Middle Ages, roughly the years 400-1400, saw the formation of ideas and institutions that mark our modern societies. Developments as disparate as the foundation of Islam and the emergence of the middle class occurred during this pivotal millennium. Although historical study of the Middle Ages has traditionally focused on Western Europe, modern historians recognize the complex global nature of this era. This important reference work offers in-depth essays on broad themes for all major world regions, short entries on specific topics, and carefully selected primary documents to help readers more fully understand this critically important period.Edited by Joyce Salisbury, and written by her together with a series of prominent historians with regional expertise, the Greenwood Encyclopedia of Global Medieval Life and Culture comprises three volumes covering the following areas of the globe - Volume 1: Europe and the Americas; Volume 2: Islam and Africa; and, Volume 3: Asia and Oceania.Each regional section comprises seven in-depth essays covering the following broad topics and concluding with bibliographies of important and current information resources: Historical Overview of the Region; Religion; Economy; The Arts, Society, Science and Technology; and Global Ties.