State and Society in the Early Middle Ages The Middle Rhine Valley, 400}}}1000 [Paperback]

A detailed analysis of the workings of society at the heart of Charlemagne's empire during the 'Dark Ages'.This book shows just how much can be discovered about the so-called 'Dark Ages', between the fall of Rome and the high middle ages. Whereas it is believed widely that the source materials for early medieval Europe are too sparse to allow sustained study of social and political relationships on the ground, State and Society in the Early Middle Ages offers a detailed analysis of the workings of society at the heart of Charlemagne's empire, and suggests the need to rethink our understanding of political power in this period.This book shows just how much can be discovered about the so-called 'Dark Ages', between the fall of Rome and the high middle ages. Whereas it is believed widely that the source materials for early medieval Europe are too sparse to allow sustained study of social and political relationships on the ground, State and Society in the Early Middle Ages offers a detailed analysis of the workings of society at the heart of Charlemagne's empire, and suggests the need to rethink our understanding of political power in this period.This book shows just how much can be discovered about the so-called Dark Ages, between the fall of Rome and the high Middle Ages. Whereas it is believed widely that the source materials for early medieval Europe are too sparse to allow sustained study of social and political relationships, State and Society in the Early Middle Ages offers a detailed analysis of the workings of society at the heart of Charlemagne's empire, and suggests the need to rethink our understanding of political power in this period.List of figures; List of abbreviations; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Monasticism, spiritual patronage and social structure; 3. Land, kinship and status; 4. Local power: collective action, conflict and consensus; 5. Locality and centre: mechanisms of extraction; 6. Political power from the fifth to the eleventh centul3¦