the decline of the Maya Classical Era. Beowulf might have been written down in this century; alternatively, it could also have been in the 8th century. Large-scale Viking attacks on Europe begin, devastating countless numbers of people. Oseberg ship burial. The Magyars begin their conquest of Pannonia (roughly modern-day Hungary), a process that will take several decades to be completed. The Tukolor settle in the Senegal river valley. Muslim traders settle in the northwest and southeast of Madagascar. In Italy, some cities became free republics: for instance Forlì, in 889. The Christian Nubian kingdom reaches its peak of prosperity and military power. (Early history of Sudan). Harald Fairhair was victorious at the Battle of Hafrsfjord, and Norway was unified into one kingdom. The Medieval Warm Period begins. The Coptic period, at its most broad definition, ends. Page from Koran (Surah II:286 and title Surah III) in kufic script, from Syria, is made. Now kept at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Inventions, discoveries, introductions Algebra by Al-Khwarizmi Quadratic equations: Indian mathematician Śrīdharācārya derived the quadratic formula used for solving quadratic equations. First image of a rotary grindstone in a European source—illustration shows crank, first known use of a crank in the West (Utrecht Psalter, 843) First known printed book, the Diamond Sutra, printed in China using woodblock printing in 868. Invention of gunpowder by Chinese Taoist Alchemists. Chess reaches Japan. Vulgar Latin begins to develop into various Romance languages. Two syllabaries or kana are developed from simplified Chinese characters in Japan. The Tibetan Script had its third and last orthographical reform. See also Timeline of 9th-century Muslim history References Bibliography 1st millennium 09th century