While empirical investigations of the natural world have been described since classical antiquity ( for example , by Thales , Aristotle , and others ) , and scientific methods have been employed since the Middle Ages ( for example , by Ibn al-Haytham , and Roger Bacon ) , the dawn of modern science is often traced back to the early modern period and in particular to the scientific revolution that took place in 16th - and 17th-century Europe .
Scientific methods have been used since the Middle Ages ( Roger Bacon ) , but the dawn of modern science is often traced back to the early modern period and in particular to the scientific revolution that took place in 16th - and 17th-century Europe .