THE DEMISE OF ANTIQUITY: Europe and the Mediterranean in the First Millennium AD.

The article focuses on the social processes that took place during the first millenium AD in Europe and Mediterranean Region. These social processes which include the decline of classical antiquity, the rise of Western Europe and the integration of the barbarian world with mainstream developments has already been illuminated by both written historical sources and the material remains of the past as studied by archeology. However, archaeological studies during this period are still far from being integrated. The author presents his personal view rooted on his knowledge in general archeology and history focusing on factors such as settlement, production and exchange as well as the rise and fall of social formations.