8th Century
Encyclopedia : 8 : 8T : 8TH : 8th Century
| Centuries: | 7th century - 8th century - 9th century |
| Decades: | 700s 710s 720s 730s 740s 750s 760s 770s 780s 790s |
The 8th century is the period from 701 - 800 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era.
Events
- The Iberian peninsula is conquered by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost eight centuries of Muslim presence there.
- Sometime this century, Beowulf is probably composed.
- The Pictish peoples of Scotland design the first European triangular harp
- Borobodur, the famous Indonesian Buddhist structure, begins construction, probably as a non-Buddhist shrine.
- Buddhist Jataka stories are translated into Syriac and Arabic as Kalilag and Damnag.
- An account of Buddha's life is translated into Greek by Saint John of Damascus, and widely circulated to Christians as the story of Barlaam and Josaphat.
- The Nara period begins in Japan.
- The Moravian principality and the Principality of Nitra arise in central Europe (see Great Moravia)
- Many Volga Bulgarians convert to Islam.
- The very first Viking raid is carried out on the abbey of Lindisfarne in northern England in 793.
- Kanem-Bornu arises north of Lake Chad.
Significant persons
- Charles Martel, frankish leader until 741 (Battle of Tours, 732)
- Pippin the Younger, king of the Franks until 768
- Charlemagne, king of the Franks from 771 to 814
- Alcuin, English monk, scholar, and teacher; Charlemagne's advisor in educational affairs
- The Venerable Bede, English scholar
- Harun al-Rashid, fifth Abbasid Caliph
- Li Po, Chinese poet
- Du Fu, Chinese poet
- Dae Jo Yeong, founder of ancient Korean state, Balhae
Inventions, discoveries, introductions
- heavy plow in use in the Rhine valley
- horsecollar in use in Northern Europe in 8th or 9th century - perhaps introduced from Asia
- papermaking introduced from China to Arabs
- beginning of the decline of the Classical Maya civilization
- ca. 770: iron horseshoes come into common use