The Middle Ages, especially the period from about A.D. 476 to the end of the 10th century, so called from the idea that this period in Europe was characterized by intellectual stagnation, widespread ignorance and poverty, and cultural decline.
A term given by some to the centuries in Europe immediately after the Roman period, from about AD 400. It is very difficult archaeologically to see what happened within this timespan as far as settlement, farming and so on are concerned. In most of Britain, people stopped using and making pottery, ceased producing and using coins, built in wood (which has rotted away) rather than stone and, in many other ways, have denied archaeologists the wealth of inorganic and concrete evidence they are used to from the Roman centuries. However, the period was not 'dark' at all except by comparison to the Roman period with its consumer and commercial society, which is much more like our own and which some archaeologists find more satisfying. See also Middle Ages.