Women in the Middle Ages occupied a number of different social roles. During the Middle Ages, a period of European historylasting from around the 5th century to the 15th century, women held the positions of wife, mother, peasant, artisan, and nun, as well as some important leadership roles, such as abbess or queen regnant. The very concept of "woman" changed in a number of ways during the Middle Ages and several forces influenced women's roles during their period
