Peter Metcalf:
>I disagree. The general level of technology has been increasing.
>The Loskalmi have plate armor which is now appearing in Seshnela
>and Ralios. The Dawn Age Dara Happans had mills which was
>demonstrably unknown in the Golden Age.
Trotsky:
>The magic was certainly superior. I'm less sure about the mundane
>technology (in so far as magic is separate from anything in Glorantha). I
>really can't see many places having much technology at the Dawn, so it
seems
>obvious to me that there has been overall advance - albeit certainly not a
>continuous one, and as I said in my earlier post, not a terribly big one
>either. Kralorela may have had a fair degree of technology at the Dawn,
but
>they are a relatively stagnant culture in that regard, IMO.
I think that technology has been generally advancing but like Trotsky says not very fast. I think that one offs like the Clanking city etc are not the norm and the technology possessed by the average Bright Empire or Youfish farmer wouldn't be much better or worse than say a Lunar or civilised Theylan farmer in the third age, if at all. The great deeds accomplished by the previous empires were probably done with magic not science. Loskalm is probably the most advanced technological place around 1600 ST, but whether that is restricted to metallurgy and weapon making only is unclear.
Me:
>>Virtually all aspects of a society are significantly effected by that
>>cultures technological level. Features such as stirrups, jointed plate
>>armour, crossbows, rapiers, halberds and large literate populations all
>>seem IMHO to be too advanced for a Bronze Age society.
Joerg Baumgartner:
>The Aztecs were a pre-Bronze Age society, and had some degree of literacy,
>quite advanced non-metallic technology, etc.
I agree, just because your culture is Bronze Age or Neolithic doesn't mean you can't achieve very impressive feats of technology or organisation, Stonehenge, the Pyramids, and many other wonders should testify to that. Also I only mention engineering feats because they are the most obvious examples. The Sea peoples invasion of Egypt at the end of the 13th century BC was conducted by a well organised multi national force and only repelled by an equally well organised and spirited defense. Egypt, Mycanae and Minoan Crete all had extensive trading empires and founded cities far from their power bases. Various Bronze age peoples produced armour and weapons of quite remarkable beauty and craftsmanship. In summary I think that their is no need to compare the Lunars, Kralori or Theylans with Iron Age or Medieval cultures as there were plenty of Bronze Age cultures capable of achieving their levels of conquest and settlement. And what's more they didn't have magic to help them.
What I really object to is that IMVHO, these anachronistic late medieval items spoil the feel of a world I always felt owed more to the Heroic Greece of Homer than to Mallory's King Arthur. Pendragon's pretty good if you like that kind of thing.
Trev
Bronze Age and proud of it!
End of The Glorantha Digest V6 #193
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