Contents: Foreword; The early Middle Ages: Europe's long morning, Jennifer R. Davis and Michael McCormick. Part 1 Discovering the early medieval economy, Michael McCormick; Rethinking the structure of the early medieval economy, Chris Wickham; Strong rulers - weak economy? Rome, the Carolingians, and the archaeology of slavery in the 1st millennium AD, Joachim Henning; The beginnings of hilltop villages in early medieval Tuscany, Riccardo Francovich; Molecular Middle Ages: early medieval economic history in the 21st century, Michael McCormick; The early medieval economy: data, production, exchange, and demand, Angeliki E. Laiou. Part 2 Sounding early medieval holiness, Michael McCormick; Latin hagiography before the 9th century: a synoptic view, Guy Philippart with Michel Trigalet; Donationes pro anima: gift and countergift in the early medieval liturgy, Arnold Angenendt; The early medieval transformation of piety, Thomas Head. Part 3 Representation and reality in the artistry of early medieval literature, Michael McCormick; Observations on early medieval weather in general, bloody rain in particular, Paul Edward Dutton; The King says No: on the logic of type-scenes in late antique and early medieval narrative, JoaquÃn MartÃnez Pizarro; Of arms and the (Ger)man: literary and material culture in the Waltharius, Jan M. Ziolkowski; Representations and reality in early medieval literature, Danuta Shanzer. Part 4 Practices of power in an early medieval empire, Michael McCormick; Charlemagne and empire, Janet L. Nelson; A pattern for power: Charlemagne's delegation of judicial responsibilities, Jennifer R. Davis; Practices of property in the Carolingian empire, Matthew J. Innes; The cunning of institutions, Stuart Airlie. Part 5 The intellectuality of early medieval art, Michael McCormick; Charlemagne's balcony: the solarium in 9th-century narratives, Mayke de Jong; Image and object: Christ's dual nature and the crisis of early medieval art, Herbert L. Kessler; Matter