Re: hsunchen "lusers"

From: Argrath_at_aol.com
Date: Thu, 14 Mar 1996 14:27:56 -0500


In Glorantha Digest V2 #431, Peter ("wee spel differntly doon hear") Metcalfe writes:

> I would have thought it was the capacity
>of other cultures to outnumber the hsunchen by means of agricultural
>technology in a given region (ten farmers for every one hunter-gather
>is the ratio I've heard).

Don't know where you've heard that. The density of Bronze Age hunter-gatherer societies in central and eastern europe was comparable to that of neighboring agricultural peoples, according to the anthropological evidence I've seen. And in individual health, the h/g types had an advantage by eating a more varied diet.

>Given that the wicked farmers have evil
>geniuses among them who invent things like iron weaponry, mounted
>warriors, decent armour and forts, the long term prognosis of the
>dominance of the hunter-gatherer Hsunchen is not good.

This, alas, is all too true.

>... The other Hsunchen live in regions
>which are remote from civilized areas (Upland Fronela) or in rough areas
>which the farmers do not see as desirable (Shan Shan Mountains).

Which is how they're managing to hang on.

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