From the Dark Ages is a term used to refer to the period of European history between the fall of the Roman Empire and the beginning of the Renaissance. During this time, a FEUDAL system was in place, which was a hierarchical structure of land ownership and labor. Feudalism was characterized by the granting of land by a lord to a vassal in exchange for loyalty and service. This system of land ownership and labor was the basis of the social and economic order of the Dark Ages.