The term of the Middle Ages refers to a period of European history that lasted from the 5th to the 15th centuries. It is characterized by the emergence of feudalism and the rise of the Catholic Church. Feudalism was a political and social system in which land was held by a lord and worked by peasants in exchange for protection and services. MEDIEVAL is an adjective used to describe this period, as well as the culture, art, and architecture that developed during it.