Richard Hodges and David Whitehouse. Muhammad, Charlemagne, and the Origins of Europe: Archaeology and the Pirenne Thesis. Ithaca NY: Cornell University Press, 1983.
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Richard Hodges and David Whitehouse. Muhammad, Charlemagne, and the Origins of Europe: Archaeology and the Pirenne Thesis. Ithaca NY: Cornell University Press, 1983.
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Hodges and Whitehouse re-examine the 'Pirenne thesis' using modern archaeological information. Henri Pirenne had theorized that "the cause of the break with the tradition of antiquity was the rapid and unexpected advance of Islam," that "without Mohammed, Charlemagne would have been inconceivable." They argue that the civilization of the Roman and Byzantine empires persisted until the sixth century, but that between 400 and 600, developments in both the eastern and western halves of the empire led to their decline, well before the first Arab incursion in the east. In other words, Islam conquered an already weakened, decaying civilization. They also discuss trade between Europe and the Islamic world, and Charlemagne's use of Abbasid silver.