[Robert A Cook PE]

He is proposing not that the comet "was"the Dark Ages, but rather that the impact (at 536 plus or minus) greatly increased stress in Europe (health, food, economy, and storage of food were affected) that greatly increased the destruction of the Roman civilization.

The Roman Empire was tottering, but under the stress of (starving but armed and dangerous) barbarians coming in after the destruction of THEIR previous hunting and farming areas (Goth, Huns, Vandals, and Mongols and other all began invading from the East after this time.....)

That destruction of civilization and trade and learning, in turn, WAS the Dark Ages.

[dg62]

My understanding is that by 540AD the Roman Empire was already no longer existed...Europe was already broken down into hundreds of principalities. The barbarians had already sacked most of Western Europe by this time. However, there were still some educated people (mostly old Roman nobles who intermarried with the barbarians) to leave written records of this period.

After the event of 536-541AD, the lights truly go out. After another hundred or so years, not even Kings could read or write.