𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞-𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡

ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ-ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴɢʟɪꜱʜ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ ᴊ. ʀ. ʀ. ᴛᴏʟᴋɪᴇɴ'ꜱ ꜰᴀɴᴛᴀꜱʏ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇʀᴍ ɪꜱ ᴇQᴜɪᴠᴀʟᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪÐɢᴀʀÐʀ ᴏꜰ ɴᴏʀꜱᴇ ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪᴅᴅᴀɴɢᴇᴀʀᴅ ɪɴ ᴏʟᴅ ᴇɴɢʟɪꜱʜ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱ, ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ ʙᴇᴏᴡᴜʟꜰ. ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ-ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ-ɪɴʜᴀʙɪᴛᴇᴅ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴇɴᴛʀᴀʟ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ, ɪɴ ᴛᴏʟᴋɪᴇɴ'ꜱ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴇᴅ ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ. ᴛᴏʟᴋɪᴇɴ'ꜱ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴡɪᴅᴇʟʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱ, ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴏʙʙɪᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏʀᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀɪɴɢꜱ, ᴀʀᴇ ꜱᴇᴛ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇʟʏ ɪɴ ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ-ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ. "ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ-ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ" ʜᴀꜱ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ʙᴇᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴀ ꜱʜᴏʀᴛ-ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴇʀᴍ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛᴏʟᴋɪᴇɴ'ꜱ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅᴀʀɪᴜᴍ, ʜɪꜱ ʟᴀʀɢᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴏꜰ ꜰᴀɴᴛᴀꜱʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ʜɪꜱ ꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ.

ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ-ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɪɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ (ᴀʀᴅᴀ) ɪɴ ᴀɴ ɪᴍᴀɢɪɴᴀʀʏ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ'ꜱ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ, ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛᴏʟᴋɪᴇɴ'ꜱ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ ᴀɢᴇ, ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ 6,000 ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ᴀɢᴏ. ᴛᴏʟᴋɪᴇɴ'ꜱ ᴛᴀʟᴇꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ-ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ᴍᴏꜱᴛʟʏ ꜰᴏᴄᴜꜱ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏʀᴛʜ-ᴡᴇꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴇɴᴛ. ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴍɪᴅᴅʟᴇ-ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ ɪꜱ ꜱᴜɢɢᴇꜱᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴇᴜʀᴏᴘᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴏʀᴛʜ-ᴡᴇꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏʟᴅ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴠɪʀᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜɪʀᴇ ʀᴇᴍɪɴɪꜱᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴇɴɢʟᴀɴᴅ, ʙᴜᴛ, ᴍᴏʀᴇ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪꜰɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴇꜱᴛ ᴍɪᴅʟᴀɴᴅꜱ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴡɴ ᴀᴛ ɪᴛꜱ ᴄᴇɴᴛʀᴇ, ʜᴏʙʙɪᴛᴏɴ, ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀᴍᴇ ʟᴀᴛɪᴛᴜᴅᴇ ᴀꜱ ᴏxꜰᴏʀᴅ.