Year 8: The Medieval & Early Modern World

4. The deadly bacterial infection (Black Death) that decimated roughly one-third of the European population.
5. The powerful Mesoamerican empire conquered by the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés in 1521.
8. A Scandinavian seafaring pirate and trader who raided and settled parts of Europe from the late 8th century.
9. The severe penalty of being officially expelled from the Catholic Church, cutting off a person from the sacraments.
11. A large country estate controlled by a lord, operating as an self-sufficient economic unit.
13. The supreme military commander who held real political power in feudal Japan, ruling on behalf of the Emperor.
14. A large, fortified building or complex built by medieval nobility for military defense and residence.
15. A formal document granted by a monarch or lord incorporating a town and granting it specific freedoms.
18. A medieval peasant who was legally bound to the land and could not leave or marry without the lord's permission.
19. An association of craftsmen or merchants in medieval Europe that oversaw production standards and prices.

1. The social and political structure of medieval Europe based on land allocation, loyal ties, and military duties.
2. The elite, hereditary warrior class of feudal Japan who followed the strict bushido code of conduct.
3. The great cultural and artistic 'rebirth' of Europe that began in Italy during the 14th century.
6. The religious, moral, and social code of chivalrous conduct expected of a medieval European knight.
7. A poor agricultural laborer of low social status who worked the land for a feudal lord.
10. A secluded community of monks living together under religious vows, acting as medieval centers of learning.
12. A religious belief or opinion that directly contradicted the official teachings of the Catholic Church.
14. A long series of holy wars launched by European Christians to capture Jerusalem from Muslim rule.
16. A powerful nobleman in the European feudal system who held land directly from the king.
17. A medieval mounted soldier of noble rank who served a lord in exchange for land and status.