Framing the Early Middle Ages : Europe and the Mediterranean, 400-800

The Roman empire tends to be seen as a whole whereas the early middle ages tends to be seen as a collection of regional histories, roughly corresponding to the land-areas of modern nation states. As a result, early medieval history is much more fragmented, and there have been few convincing syntheses of socio-economic change in the post-Roman world since the 1930s. In recent decades, the rise of early medieval archaeology has also transformed our source-base, but this has not been adequately integrated into analyses of documentary history in almost any country. In Framing the Early Middle Ages Chris Wickham aims at integrating documentary and archaeological evidence together, and also, above all, at creating a comparative history of the period 400-800, by means of systematic comparative analyses of each of the regions of the latest Roman and immediately post-Roman world, from Denmark to Egypt (only the Slav areas are left out). The book concentrates on classic socio-economic themes, state finance, the wealth and identity of the aristocracy, estate management, peasant society, rural settlement, cities, and exchange. These are only a partial picture of the period, but they are intended as a framing for other developments, without which those other developments cannot be properly understood. Wickham argues that only a complex comparative analysis can act as the basis for a wider synthesis. Whilst earlier syntheses have taken the development of a single region as 'typical', with divergent developments presented as exceptions, this book takes all different developments as typical, and aims to construct a synthesis based on a better understanding of difference and the reasons for it. This is the most ambitious and original survey of the period ever written.
The Roman empire tends to be seen as a whole whereas the early middle ages tends to be seen as a collection of regional histories, roughly corresponding to the land-areas of modern nation states. As a result, early medieval history is much more fragmented, and there have been few convincing syntheses of socio-economic change in the post-Roman world since the 1930s. In recent decades, the rise of early medieval archaeology has also transformed our source-base, but this has not been adequately integrated into analyses of documentary history in almost any country.

In Framing the Early Middle Ages Chris Wickham aims at integrating documentary and archaeological evidence together, and also, above all, at creating a comparative history of the period 400-800, by means of systematic comparative analyses of each of the regions of the latest Roman and immediately post-Roman world, from Denmark to Egypt (only the Slav areas are left out). The book concentrates on classic socio-economic themes, state finance, the wealth and identity of the aristocracy, estate management, peasant society, rural settlement, cities, and exchange. These are only a partial picture of the period, but they are intended as a framing for other developments, without which those other developments cannot be properly understood.

Wickham argues that only a complex comparative analysis can act as the basis for a wider synthesis. Whilst earlier syntheses have taken the development of a single region as 'typical', with divergent developments presented as exceptions, this book takes all different developments as typical, and aims to construct a synthesis based on a better understanding of difference and the reasons for it. This is the most ambitious and original survey of the period ever written.

The Roman empire tends to be seen as a whole. By contrast, the early middle ages tends to be seen as a collection of regional histories, roughly corresponding to modern nation states. As a result, early medieval history-writing is much more fragmented. There have been few convincing syntheses of socio-economic change in the post-Roman world since the 1930s. Although, in recent decades, the rise of early medieval archaelogy has transformed our knowledge of the period, this has been adequately integrated into wider syntheses anywhere. This book aims to change this.In Framing the Early Middle Ages Chris Wickham combines documentary and archeological evidence together, and creates a comparative history of the period 400-800. He sets out thematic analyses of each of the regions of the latest Roman and immediately post-Roman world, from Denmark to Egypt. The book concentrates on classic socio-economic themes: states and their funding, the wealth and identity of the aristocracy, estate management, peasant society, rural settlement, cities, and exchange. These are discussed region by region, in a way not attempted before. Wickham argues that, without this, the broader development of Europe and the Mediterranean cannot be properly understood.Earlier syntheses have taken the development of a single region as 'typical', with divergent developments presented as exceptions. Wickham's book aims to construct a sythesis based on a better understanding of differences and the reasons for them. Readers will want to read the book for its richness of detail, but the book is also a more ambitious synthesis of the period than any previous work. The Roman empire tends to be seen as a whole whereas the early middle ages tends to be seen as a collection of regional histories, roughly corresponding to the land-areas of modern nation states. As a result, early medieval history is much more fragmented, and there have been few convincing syntheses of socio-economic change in the post-Roman world since the 1930s. In recent decades, the rise of early medieval archaeology has also transformed our source-base, but this has not been adequately integrated into analyses of documentary history in almost any country. In Framing the Early Middle Ages Chris Wickham combines documentary and archaeological evidence to create a comparative history of the period 400-800. His analysis embraces each of the regions of the late Roman and immediately post-Roman world, from Denmark to Egypt. The book concentrates on classic socio-economic themes, state finance, the wealth and identity of the aristocracy, estate management, peasant society, rural settlement, cities, and exchange. These give only a partial picture of the period, but they frame and explain other developments. Earlier syntheses have taken the development of a single region as'typical', with divergent developments presented as exceptions. This book takes all different developments as typical, and aims to construct a synthesis based on a better understanding of difference and the reasons for it. The Roman empire tends to be seen as a whole whereas the early middle ages tends to be seen as a collection of regional histories, roughly corresponding to the land-areas of modern nation states. As a result, early medieval history is much more fragmented. In recent decades, the rise of early medieval archaeology has also transformed our source-base, but this has not been adequately integrated into analyses of documentary history in almost any country. This book integrates documentary and archaeological evidence together, and provides a history of the period 400—800, by means of systematic comparative analyses of each of the regions of the latest Roman and immediately post-Roman world, from Denmark to Egypt (only the Slav areas are left out). The book concentrates on classic socio-economic themes, state finance, the wealth and identity of the aristocracy, estate management, peasant society, rural settlement, cities, and exchange. These are only a partial picture of the period, but they are intended as a framing for other developments, without which those other developments cannot be properly understood. The book argues that only a complex comparative analysis can act as the basis for a wider synthesis. The book takes all different developments as typical, and constructs a synthesis based on a better understanding of difference and the reasons for it. Contents......Page 10 List of maps......Page 11 Abbreviations......Page 12 Notes on terminology......Page 15 1. Introduction......Page 30 Part I. States......Page 44 2. Geography and politics......Page 46 3. The form of the state......Page 85 Part II. Aristocratic power-structures......Page 180 4. Aristocracies......Page 182 5. Managing the land......Page 288 6. Political breakdown and state-building in the North......Page 332 Part III. Peasantries......Page 410 7. Peasants and local societies: case studies......Page 412 8. Rural settlement and village societies......Page 471 9. Peasant society and its problems......Page 548 Part IV. Networks......Page 618 10. Cities......Page 620 11. Systems of exchange......Page 722 12. General conclusions......Page 854 1. Primary sources......Page 861 2. Secondary sources......Page 874 A......Page 974 B......Page 979 C......Page 982 D......Page 986 E......Page 988 F......Page 990 G......Page 991 H......Page 993 I......Page 995 J......Page 996 L......Page 997 M......Page 999 N......Page 1002 O......Page 1003 P......Page 1004 R......Page 1008 S......Page 1010 T......Page 1013 V......Page 1016 W......Page 1017 Y......Page 1018 Z......Page 1019 "In Framing the early middle ages Chris Wickham links documentary and archaeological evidence together, and creates a comparative history of the period 400-800. He sets out thematic analysis of each of the regions of the latest Roman and immediately post-Roman world, from Denmark to Egypt. The book concentrates on classic socio-economic themes: states and their funding, the wealth and identity of the aristocracy, estate management, peasant society, rural settlement, cities, and exchange. These are discussed region by region, in a way not attempted before. Wickham argues that, without this, the broader development of Europe and the Mediterranean cannot be properly understood."--Jacket Front Matter List of maps Abbreviations Notes on terminology Introduction States Geography and politics The Form of the State Aristocratic power-structures Aristocracies Managing the land Political breakdown and state-building in the North Peasantries Peasants and local societies: case studies Rural settlement and village societies Peasant society and its problems Networks Cities Systems of exchange General conclusions End Matter Bibliography Primary sources Secondary sources Index Providing a comparative history of the period between the years 400 and 800, this text concentrates on classic socio-economic themes in each of the European regions