Little Ice Age 550 ya

About the same time the weather turned so cold that rivers began to freeze in winter and glaciers to advance. This was the start of what is called the Little Ice Age . It was probably part of the general cooling of the Earth which started 5000 years ago.

At this time too the idea of sovereignty was invented. This said that the king, or sovereign, had absolute powers to make laws, but he was not himself subject to these laws.