The Medieval period, also known as the Middle Ages, was a time of both innovation and war. This period lasted from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in C.E. 500 to the Renaissance in the 1500s. The Middle Ages began after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, which was caused by a number of factors, including invasion by barbarian tribes. However, the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire, lasted for over 900 years afterward until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Ottoman Turks (Delahoyde). 

The Middle Ages contained several other events such as the rise of Islam, the formation of the new Holy Roman Empire (Duits), and the rise of the Franks. Although this period is often characterized as a time of ignorance, it still presented several new inventions and innovations. Many weapons of war were created during the Middle Ages, such as the longbow, castle, and mail armor. The period also introduced other inventions that are still used today, such as the mechanical clock, the windmill, and the water wheel.