Read the short excerpt from the account written by ibn fadlan concerning his travels among the viking rus. how does he describe their civilization? how is this an example of “culture shock” to the civilized and cultured representative of the great muslim intellectual center of baghdad? coming from his particular background, why does ibn fadlan seem so surprised and unnerved by this newly encountered civilization? discuss the viking funerary rituals – what seemed particularly “uncivilized” to ibn fadlan? take into account the readings in the textbook concerning the nature of the medieval islamic world and its scientific, literary, and cultural dimensions.