How did monks preserve ancient knowledge?

Answer 1

By taking handwritten scrolls with the Buddhist sutras from India to China, and then translating them into Chinese.
Read Matthew Summer-Sparks 'Tracing the Buddhist Path.'

Answer 2

The very educated and literate Irish Catholic monks situated in the remove of Ireland defended education and preserved written documents from the ravages of barbarian hordes who burned, looted, raped, and pillaged their way across Europe initiating the 'dark ages'.

The Medeival Period of Europe (800 - 1390) is called the 'dark ages' simply because there is so little documents existing for historians to learn about the period. After the fall of Rome barbaranians swarmed over Europe destroying anything in site. The Irish Catholic monks were holed up in their fort-like churches and survived the onslaught, preserving the written language and perishible documents.

Later on, as Kings became established and stablized the environment, these educated Catholic monks served as the Civil Service for the various kings. Almost all the kings did not know how to read & write, so the monks did it for them. Which was just one way how the Catholic Church incorporated itself into the European establishment.

Answer 3

By copying and preserving ancient texts in monastic scriptoriums, in Ireland, England and later under Charlemagne in the 8th c., western thought was preserved through the dark ages to ignite the Age of Faith, the Renaissance, and later the Enlightenment.

Answer 4

They copied books that would have been lost forever and maintained libraries. An illiterate people see books as something to feed a fire with or wipe their butts on. Monks were literate to a certain degree and handled books with reverence and preserved them.

Answer 5

By writing it down and keeping it safe in vaults.