ably ▁the ▁Black ▁Death , ▁but ▁also ▁numerous ▁wars ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁economic ▁st agn ation . ▁ ▁From ▁around ▁ 7 8 0 , ▁Europe ▁saw ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁the ▁bar bar ian ▁invas ions ▁and ▁became ▁more ▁soci ally ▁and ▁polit ically ▁organized . ▁The ▁Carol ing ian ▁Renaissance ▁stim ulated ▁scientific ▁and ▁philosoph ical ▁activity ▁in ▁Northern ▁Europe . ▁The ▁first ▁univers ities ▁started ▁operating ▁in ▁Bolog na , ▁Paris , ▁Oxford , ▁Sal aman ca , ▁Cambridge ▁and ▁Mod ena . ▁The ▁Vik ings ▁settled ▁in ▁the ▁British ▁Is les , ▁France ▁and ▁elsewhere , ▁and ▁Nor se ▁Christian ▁kingdom s ▁started ▁developing ▁in ▁their ▁Sc and in av ian ▁hom el ands . ▁The ▁Mag y ars ▁ceased ▁their ▁expansion ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 0 0 0 , ▁a ▁Christian ▁Kingdom ▁of ▁Hung ary ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁recognized ▁state ▁in ▁Central ▁Europe ▁that ▁was ▁forming ▁al li ances ▁with ▁regional ▁powers . ▁With ▁the ▁brief ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁invas ions ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁major ▁nom adic ▁inc urs ions ▁ceased . ▁The ▁powerful ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁of ▁the ▁Mac ed onian ▁and ▁Kom nen os ▁dynast ies ▁gradually ▁gave ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁res ur rect ed ▁Ser bia ▁and ▁Bulg aria ▁and ▁to ▁a ▁successor ▁cr us ader ▁state ▁( 1 2 0 4 ▁to ▁ 1 2 6 1 ), ▁who ▁contin ually ▁fought ▁each ▁other ▁until ▁the ▁end