The long perspective
Adriaan Verhulst
The place of the Carolingian age and more particularly economy in history early Middle Ages, between late Antiquity expansion European from eleventh to thirteenth centuries, has for a long time been object much debate. Since publication two books by Alfons Dopsch 1918 1921, respectively on transition Ages period, articles Henri Pirenne, 1922 1923, economic contrast Merovingians Carolingians, posthumous book 1937, well known under its title Mahomet et Charlemagne, there discussion around question whether was period revival as contrasted with preceding contended, or, Pirenne argued, an nadir, self-sufficient agrarian without towns or trade.
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