tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post5284699966317179184..comments2024-03-28T07:57:49.338+00:00Comments on Poul Anderson Appreciation: Mistakes About The PastKetlanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08588156788583883454noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-30248855654486111392023-01-31T18:40:38.244+00:002023-01-31T18:40:38.244+00:00Kaor, Jim!
Then these Indians were exceptions to ...Kaor, Jim!<br /><br />Then these Indians were exceptions to the general rule, as seen among most nomadic hunter gatherers.<br /><br />Ad astra! SeanSean M. Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13973738112230622557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-43152445831980405492023-01-31T02:20:42.613+00:002023-01-31T02:20:42.613+00:00It was simple enough & used common enough mate...It was simple enough & used common enough materials (birchbark & soot) that they could leave notes to each other & found that useful.<br />Now imagine that among a people just developing agriculture so they are now living a non-nomadic life & can keep not just notes but start making books & libraries...Jim Baerghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182949391365921637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-87335548211902313462023-01-30T01:32:11.181+00:002023-01-30T01:32:11.181+00:00Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Jim!
Mr. Stirling: Your co...Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Jim!<br /><br />Mr. Stirling: Your comments reminded me of what we see in Anderson's "The Long Remembering." The Cro-Magnons were far more advanced than the Neanderthals we also see in that story.<br /><br />Jim: I am not so sure a truly nomadic people could be or would stay literate. What would wandering hunter/gatherers USE for writing materials, pens, inks/paints, etc.? And how and where would they manufacture such things? And would nomads really carry around large and cumbersome quantities of books and records?<br /><br />My view is, no, they would not. Esp. when you recall the effort required for such a thing could be use for things of far immediate use for nomads.<br /><br />Ad astra! SeanSean M. Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13973738112230622557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-23545461617353256732023-01-29T19:24:00.157+00:002023-01-29T19:24:00.157+00:00"there was no danger of upsetting the past, f..."there was no danger of upsetting the past, for the metal would rust away and the strangers be forgotten in a few centuries."<br /><br />Probably right for giving a few metal tools, but I can think of some things that could make major changes.<br /><br />Eg: introducing something like this:<br />https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cree_syllabics<br />Note that nomadic hunting people found a sufficiently easy script useful.<br />Suppose that was introduced before agriculture & then in post glacial times when agriculture becomes practical all sorts of innovations are recorded in writing. I expect civilization would advance much faster.Jim Baerghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03182949391365921637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3538502828554372917.post-69524483433700765442016-12-16T06:09:20.495+00:002016-12-16T06:09:20.495+00:00Poul was prescient about the Cro-Magnon dress; the...Poul was prescient about the Cro-Magnon dress; there's been evidence discovered recently that they did in fact wear tailored, sewn clothing, while the Neanderthals didn't.S.M. Stirlinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18091131550027851275noreply@blogger.com