postmedieval

The term postmedieval refers to the period following the Middle Ages, used mainly in European history and related disciplines. Its dates are not fixed; commonly it covers roughly the 15th through 18th centuries, with regional variations.

In archaeology, art history, architectural history, and cultural studies, postmedieval is a chronological label for material culture, architecture, and social practices that lie between medieval and modern periods. Dating schemes often place postmedieval materials around 1500 to 1800, though some scholars adjust the endpoints to fit local chronology.

The period encompasses major transformations such as the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, the rise of print and manuscript culture, urban expansion, global exchanges, and changes in crafts, household life, and consumption. It also contains continuities with medieval traditions, for example in craft techniques and architectural forms that persisted.

The term overlaps with, yet is not universally identical to, the early modern period. Some researchers prefer postmedieval for material culture and social practices, while using early modern to discuss political institutions and state formation. Others treat the terms as largely synonymous but acknowledge regional differences.

The label is most commonly used in British and Western European contexts but appears in broader scholarship as well. It remains a pragmatic dating and interpretive tool rather than a fixed historical boundary, helping to capture the longue durée between medieval and modern worlds.