Real world equivalent time period to Middle Earth?

[Otaku-sempai]

Today, you could visit the most remote tribe in New Gunea and possibly find a local with a smart phone. However, less than 100 years ago even our real world was still a mixture of modern societies and stone-age cultures (however rare were the latter). Middle-earth was never represented by only one historical period except when the Elves first awoke.

[Mim]

This is a great thread.

Another way to look at this is to recall the good professor's specialties, bearing in mind that he translated these ancient texts for us

For example, he worked on Beowulf and King Arthur, which means primarily the late 5th-early 6th centuries, with a bit of leeway depending on how far you want to go. You can also add some of his other work, such as Maldon, not to mention a brief mention of the Bayeux Tapestry in a letter, which takes you up to the mid-11th century. In addition, he referred to the Egyptians and Romans in his letters, so it becomes a great melting pot.

BTW, I love the artwork of the characters, which really captures their weapons, armour, and costumes well, IMHO.