Social Transformations and Resilience

The amazing goblet known as the ‘Tassilo Liutpirc Chalice’ is one of the most significant archaeological objects from the eighth century AD. Surprisingly, the animal figures that adorn it have close parallels with the creatures of the Germanic Animal styles from the fifth century onwards. This paper explores the deeply-rooted traditions behind this, and the social, cultural and political mechanisms that sustained its continuity, transcending the boundaries of epochs and religions. It is argued that a supra-regional network of workshops was the driving force in the development of this sophisticated imagery.