I mean to say that the medieval period was not abnormal by pre-modern standards. The medieval period gets a reputation as a time of exceptional filth and decay, and while there is some truth to the whole “Holy fuck, European civilization just fucking collapsed for several hundred years”, it also gets exaggerated in the retellings, or else ignores that certain practices both pre-and-post-dated the period.
You mean to tell me the norm in pre-modern societies is the norm in pre-modern societies?
I mean to say that the medieval period was not abnormal by pre-modern standards. The medieval period gets a reputation as a time of exceptional filth and decay, and while there is some truth to the whole “Holy fuck, European civilization just fucking collapsed for several hundred years”, it also gets exaggerated in the retellings, or else ignores that certain practices both pre-and-post-dated the period.