RE: Re: Tribal size

From: Jeff Richard <richj_at_...>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2004 10:45:24 -0700

>From

> your posts, I'd be tempted to infer you were suggesting Sartar and
> Heortland were somewhat like Iron Age Britain, but with higher
> population densities due to the populace and land being magically
> healthier and more productive. From Jeff's, I'd be tempted to imagine
a
> more cultivated mid-Medieval landscape. Aside from my aesthetic
issues
> with each, we can at least note that the two are rather different.

For what it is worth, I have read some archaeological works suggesting that some areas of Britain (e.g., the Severn valley, Dorset) may have actually had a higher population density in the Iron Age (c. 500 BC - 50AD) than in the Domesday Book. My view of the Heortlings of Sartar and Heortland is that they are primarily livestock raising farmers. Most of their food comes from cultivation, then comes their livestock, and finally comes hunting (which is much less a source of food than of furs). Up around the Far Point, some of the tribes may put a much greater emphasis on hunting at the expense of cultivation. Actual use of land and agricultural technique is probably not that different in the Nymie vale as in the Bullflood vale - the main difference is there is more usable land in the Bullflood vale (hence a higher overall population density). If a non-Orlanthi saw folk farming and raising livestock in those locations, they would likely conclude that they are the same people (and they would be correct).  

Actually, I think the same is largely true in Esrolia - I really don't think there is much of a difference in agricultural technique amongst the various Southern Orlanthi. The main difference is probably geography (and the degree that other institutions have infringed upon the clan's ability to keep its agricultural surplus). Then again, I think the Heortlings are really quite sophisticated - they just seem to have a lot trouble with any unit of social organization larger than the clan. For instance, Greg and I concluded that the Heortling Barntar-plough is the primary type of plough used south of Yardash (in Syllila) - the Lod-plough is just too heavy and deep for most of the soils in the region (I think it works in certain areas like the Sharl plain, but very few places in Dragon Pass are suitable for the Lod-plough). The Esrolians, the Heortlanders, the Sartarites, the Tarshites, Holyans, Aggari and Syllilans all practice very similar agricultural techniques (with the exception of maize farming in the north). The key difference - geography and scale of governance.  

Jeff

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