Framing the Carolingian Economy

Abstract

This essay argues that the degree of commercialization on Carolingian great estates should not be overstated. Rather, the strategies and ambitions of Carolingian estate managers were primarily determined by a ‘domainal’ ideology and concerns for good stewardship. Moreover, the structural demands of the Carolingian state may have played a rather more important role in framing economic conditions than is commonly supposed. Here Carolingianists need to learn some of the lessons that have helped to transform the writing of ancient economic history in recent decades.

The Early Medieval State: A Strategic‐Relational Approach

“…Different dominant groups could also build relationships with each other beyond family ties, whether through marriage, friendship, or political alliance and some of these relationships were ultimately institutionalized. Ultimately, it was at this supra‐local scale that the individuals and groups with sufficient resources found the opportunities that allowed them to reproduce a socially dominant position (Innes, 2009).…”