There's nothing overly creative about the name; The Middle Ages are a one thousand year period that fall in between Antiquity and Modern Times.  It is a time of transition that began with the fall of Rome in 476 A.D.  Instead of one dominant power (Rome), which administered the economic, political, and military affairs of Europe, the Middle Ages were a time when central control was lost.

     Often called the Dark Ages, it was a time when little was recorded, yet modern historians still know a great deal about the time.  While many petty kingdoms existed through this time, the overseer of all was the Roman Catholic Church, which wielded exepctional power during this phase of European History.

     The Middles Ages are split into three components.  The Early Middle Ages saw a complete reorganization of society, ordered around local manors and based on the Fuedal System.  The High (or middle) Middle Ages saw the "Golden Age" of the time, with growing kingdoms and the development of nation-states, an explosion of population, and the extension of European power.  Everything broke down during the Late Middle Ages, as famine and disease swept across the continent.  This systemic failure resulted in a re-evaluation of all elements of society, commonly referred to as the Renaissance.

     The end of the Middle Ages is a subject of debate.  Many historians use 1453 as a marking point, the year that both the 100 Years' War ended and the great city of  Constantinople fell to the Ottomans.  It's also right before the printing press was invented.  Other historians prefer 1492, when Columbus discovered the "New World", and the Reconquista of Spain.