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Wight
Posts: 206</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: The Bridge of Khazad-dum
Disagree all you wish.
A simple reading of the material states the time periods involved.
You're sub-creating and extrapolating on evidence that doesn't apply to the situation.
The quote concerned the first age, and parts of the second BEFORE the Numenoreans arrived.
It even goes on to state that this was before Moria was established.
Moria was closed and the alliance disintegrated totally.
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> J.R.R. Tolkien Of Dwarves and Men
{Concerning the closure of Moria and the effects of the War}
'The Men of the Old alliance were diminished and scattered, and those that lingered on in their old regions were impoverished, and lived mostly in caves or in the borders of the forest.'<hr></blockquote>
The beginnings of the Woodmen of Mirkwood.
A further quote concerning the alliance of Dwarves and Men:
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> J.R.R. Tolkien Of Dwarves and Men
{Concerning the names of Dwarves}
'And continued to be given (and often repeated) for something like
four thousand years or more since the Alliance
was destroyed by the power of Sauron!.'<hr></blockquote>
This establishes the time frame for the destruction of the alliance AND explains the creation of the 'unique' names of the Dwarves having thier origins in a 'long dead' mannish language.
The Dwarves lessened the alliance before the destruction of the Men of the Vales to establish an alliance with the Elves of Eregion.
The 'characteristic' you are describing concerns The Iron Hills, the Ered Luin, Ered Mithrin, and later Erebor areas, not Moria. It was CLOSED. That's how they survived the wars of the time, though the population began to decline.
<blockquote>
Quote:<hr> J.R.R. Tolkien The Return of the King Appendix A
{Concerning the closure of Moria and it's result on population}
'Thus it's wealth remained long unravished, though its people began to dwindle.'
The speculation on additional entrances, trading, agriculture and whatnot is turning into flights of fancy due to the disregard to textual statements, and in many places contradicts text entirely from the attempt.
Concerning Master Underhill's statement of the Road:
Absolutley correct. I attempted to make that clear earlier for others with the statement concerning the West Gate being built in the Second Age. Before this time the East gate was the only entrance, but thank you for doing so in a more concise<hr></blockquote>
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