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ancient civilizations

Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2014 9:55 am
by Civil War Bugle
I am partaking in a discussion on another forum about the possibility of ancient high tech civilizations on Earth, and the evidence or lack thereof for one having existed. That made me think of Almea when I was opening a new tab for additional web browsing.

So I have two questions. The first is whether you and your field researchers know of any evidence at all of any civilization which predates the Ilii, where a civilization is anything advanced enough to have at least farming and possibly writing, if not being more advanced.

The other question is how much we know about the current civilizations pre-recorded history. I know the Ilii aren't saying much and that some of it is distilled in the Count of Years and speculation about the creation of the Zone of Fire, but maybe you and your field researchers are aware of some archaeological digs and the like which have shed some light. I've seen you say in a couple of places that Almean fossil fuel is largely still there, but is there any evidence at all that maybe a bit was used in the distant past, even if not in large amounts? And Almean plants apparently were domesticated prior to recorded history that implies that either there was a previous human civilization shortly before recorded history, or possibly the Elcari were domesticating them or something. Have there been genetic studies done, or archaeological finds found, which would give a range for how old these domesticated plants are?

Thanks.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 12:59 pm
by Mornche Geddick
Technology such as DNA sequencing, radiocarbon dating and X-ray photography won't be available for a while. However the Xurnese, or the Erelaeans or the Uyse?ic states might well have already started archeological excavations. The Uytainese want to find another Miller's Stele with all the legendary kings before Mwatwor.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 1:33 pm
by zompist
I write from the perspective of (say) a terrestrial researcher who can wander Almea. So technology not available to the non-iliu races can't presently be used. The Almeans don't do any archeology, except accidentally (e.g. wandering the surface of known ruins, finding a Cadhinorian pot in your subcellar).

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 4:28 pm
by Civil War Bugle
Ah, so sadly no samples are taken back to the University of Chicago labs for analysis? Thanks, though.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 5:20 pm
by Drydic
zompist wrote:I write from the perspective of (say) a terrestrial researcher who can wander Almea. So technology not available to the non-iliu races can't presently be used. The Almeans don't do any archeology, except accidentally (e.g. wandering the surface of known ruins, finding a Cadhinorian pot in your subcellar).
No one plumbs the depths of Erruk anymore? For shame!

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 6:23 pm
by zompist
Not Lara Croft style, no...

(Just because I like pouring cold water on things, that whole trope of pop culture is the reflection of a real stage in archeology-- the century or so when some new diggings could really uncover a whole new culture: Sumerian, Harappan, Maya, etc. H.P. Lovecraft extended it to posit far deeper and more alien civilizations. In a sense I've precluded that kind of fun by already working out the early civilizations... then added some of it back via the Count of Years. If you really like multiple layers, you could take the iliu's own word for it that one civilization preceded their own-- the Giants.)

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 6:34 pm
by Drydic
I meant more of a disorganized, chaotic, bickering and clueless 3 to 6 person group style, actually :)

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 6:58 pm
by vec
Do you think Verdurians (or others) may take up serious archeology at some point?

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2014 7:10 pm
by zompist
vec wrote:Do you think Verdurians (or others) may take up serious archeology at some point?
Oh, sure. Probably in the next century, as a result of [REDACTED]. Oops.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 4:53 am
by vec
!!

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 7:02 am
by Mornche Geddick
I wonder which of the three nations I've mentioned will be the first to start? They all have intriguing ancient ruins. Of course, maybe the Barakhinei or the Mei might surprise us all.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 6:35 pm
by Melend
If Almea and Earth interact, then even if we don't assume that the Almeans will initiate any social or technological change at all (which is certainly unlikely) things will end up transferring over. I would be surprised if the developments which lead to modern archaeology on Earth didn't end up leaking into Almea.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2014 9:53 pm
by Drydic
The only announced interactions have been a boatload of 4th Century AD Greeks and an Englishman (separate incidents). So...less likely.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 3:15 pm
by Melend
I thought reliable contact had been established between Europe and Almea. No?

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:33 pm
by Drydic
Well there's the embassy in Linköping yeah, I'm half-remembering the ambassador being terran tho, and the backup site which copied Geocities before it was taken offline (requiescat in pace, *sniff*) doesn't seem to have all the pages saved, so I can't confirm or deny that :s

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 4:58 pm
by zompist
The Swedish embassy was a favor to a group from Linköping that was very interested in Verdurian for awhile. It's not really intended as an open interdimensional portal that might affect Almean history.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 5:02 pm
by Drydic
Sounds like it is/was Terran-operated then?

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 5:07 pm
by zompist
Checking... well, the Lord of News refers to a Verdurian being named ambassador. Last story on this page.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 5:09 pm
by Drydic
Ok then. Maybe he was denied an extradimensional entry visa.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:40 am
by Karavinka
Ouch, the Verdurian embassy establishes Verduria's 3480 is indeed (more or less) the present day. Zompist, I demand an explanation how AD 325 corresponds to 2780 but 20th century Earth to 3480.. ;)

A Lara Croft style adventure story in Verduria sounds like an interesting read, though. "The Rogues" is pretty close, isn't it?

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:55 am
by zompist
Didn't you read Prince Caspian? Time doesn't go at the same rate in different universes.

("The Rogues" is an homage to Fritz Lieber.)

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 7:03 pm
by Melend
Or the connection between Almea and Earth isn't time-stable.

Re: ancient civilizations

Posted: Wed Apr 29, 2015 9:09 am
by Pedant
Giants, eh? Could be interesting...