ABSTRACT
It was long believed that the Franks did not settle outside the towns and fortresses and that agriculture remained almost exclusively in the hands of the local non-Frankish population. The organizational aspects of rural settlement have been described by Prawer (1980:102-42), Richard (1985:253-66) and others, and the remains of manor houses scattered throughout the kingdom are clear evidence that Frankish landowners or their representatives were in control in the countryside. However, the view that the Franks played a minor role limited to administration is no longer tenable and has been effectively challenged by Ellenblum (1998).
