Integration and social reproduction in the Carolingian Empire

Abstract

Abstract Models which stress economic and political factors in empire‐building are limited in their ability to explain the reproduction of these complex socio‐political phenomena; ideological and, more generally, social factors must be emphasized. The Carolingian Empire lacked a sophisticated and overarching administrative and military structure which would ensure elite integration. We argue that the production of a Christian ideological code of order and social organization was developed in an explicit attempt to effect the reproduction of the system. This ideological order was disseminated by the Church and was reflected in the material culture of the period: the churches, mortuary practices, palaces, monasteries, gospel books and mosaics were active elements in social integration. The archaeology, art history and architectural history of the eighth and ninth centuries are used to illustrate the attempts by the Carolingians to ensure social integration in the face of fragmentation.