It's not. Some people have a confused idea of the meaning on the word "medieval," applying it to anything that happened a long time ago. Look at the Isaac Newton node for an example of such confusion.

Medieval refers to the Middle Ages, and the Middle Ages node has a quite good description of when they are considered to have started and ended. Though the boundaries are a little fuzzy, the Middle Ages certainly ended no later than the early 1500s. But in general, the Middle Ages are considered to have ended when the Renaissance began. In any case, don't go around calling Isaac Newton, a man who was born in the 1600s and who died in the 1700s, medieval!

Another work from the nrt