The Medieval Period, also referred to as the Middle Ages, typically is viewed as beginning in 500 AD, the Early Medieval Period, or 1000 AD, the High Medieval Period and lasting until the Renaissance of Europe, typically recognized as the 16th Century AD.
The High Middle Ages or High Medieval period spans the time period from approximately 1000 AD and ends around 1250 AD. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Dark Ages (sometimes referred to as the Early Middle Ages) and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention, ended around 1500 AD.