The "Middle Ages" or medieval period generally refers to the entire time span between classical antiquity and the modern era in Western history. The Middle Ages lasted approximately AD 500 - 1500, from the fall of the (Western) Roman Empire to the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the discovery and colonization of the New World. The Middle Ages are often partitioned into the Early, High, and Late Middle Ages.

The "Dark Ages" in the context of medieval Europe refers to a period roughly synonymous with the Early Middle Ages, AD 500 - 1000, but exact limits have changed reflecting developments in the related historiography. The centuries immediately following the fall of Rome were marked by barbarian invasions, population decline, cultural and economic deterioration, and (to modern historians) a lack of records, hence the "dark" moniker.

This concept originated with the [Italian poet Petrarch in the 1330s][2] and referred the whole medieval period, but has since been pared down. However its use is now the subject of [controversy among historians][1], who increasingly consider it misleading and biased by Renaissance era thought.


  [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Ages_%28historiography%29#Modern_academic_use
  [2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Ages_%28historiography%29#Petrarch