<P> As the accomplishments of the era came to be better understood in the 18th and 20th centuries , scholars began restricting the `` Dark Ages '' appellation to the Early Middle Ages ( c. 5th -- 10th century ) . The majority of modern scholars avoid the term altogether due to its negative connotations , finding it misleading and inaccurate . The original definition remains in popular use , and popular culture often employs it as a vehicle to depict the Middle Ages as a time of backwardness , extending its pejorative use and expanding its scope . </P>
<P> As the accomplishments of the era came to be better understood in the 18th and 20th centuries , scholars began restricting the `` Dark Ages '' appellation to the Early Middle Ages ( c. 5th -- 10th century ) . The majority of modern scholars avoid the term altogether due to its negative connotations , finding it misleading and inaccurate . The original definition remains in popular use , and popular culture often employs it as a vehicle to depict the Middle Ages as a time of backwardness , extending its pejorative use and expanding its scope . </P>
when did the dark ages end and start
when did the dark ages end and start
the Early Middle Ages ( c. 5th -- 10th century )
the Early Middle Ages ( c. 5th -- 10th century )