Intellectual hooliganism topic: Middle Earth Archaeology - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Morthoron · 03-07-2012, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

If you ever have the chance to visit British megalithic sites, it's like stumbling upon some part of old Middle-earth. Not Stonehenge though, that's a bit noisy, I'm thinking more of the weirdness of Wayland's Smithy, Arbor Low or Chysauster.

I've been to many of Ireland's megalithic sites. Let me tell you, there is definitely an odd feeling one gets going down a tunnel deep into a tumulus that was delved by someone 4000-5000 years ago. The passage tomb at Knowth in particular. Barrow Wights indeed.

Lalwendë · 03-07-2012, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morthoron

I've been to many of Ireland's megalithic sites. Let me tell you, there is definitely an odd feeling one gets going down a tunnel deep into a tumulus that was delved by someone 4000-5000 years ago. The passage tomb at Knowth in particular. Barrow Wights indeed.

Alan Lee was certainly onto something when he chose to base his sketches of the Barrows on Maes Howe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maes_Howe

These are all chambered tombs, but for a real creep out you should visit the west country. The Cornish fogou or 'creep' is probably one of the most sinister (yet strangely nice) things you can ever experience.

Morthoron · 03-07-2012, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Alan Lee was certainly onto something when he chose to base his sketches of the Barrows on Maes Howe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maes_Howe

These are all chambered tombs, but for a real creep out you should visit the west country. The Cornish fogou or 'creep' is probably one of the most sinister (yet strangely nice) things you can ever experience.

We're planning a trip to Britain within the next couple years. I'll add that to the 4000 things already on the itinerary. I'll tell the wife she'll just have to cut short her shopping trip in London.

Lalwendë · 03-08-2012, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morthoron

We're planning a trip to Britain within the next couple years. I'll add that to the 4000 things already on the itinerary. I'll tell the wife she'll just have to cut short her shopping trip in London.

How to 'do' London: go from train to British Museum and see the best bits (Lindow Man, Dr John Dee's alchemical instruments and the shop); go to the Forbidden Planet Megastore and stock up on geek must-haves; go to Cabinet War Rooms and learn about the importance of carpet sizes to the Civil Service; visit Tate Britain; and leave before darkness falls. All the best stuff in Britain is well outside the Venetian city state that is London.

Elmo · 03-08-2012, 05:45 PM

Archaeology in the real world didn't get popular until the Victorian era. Did any of Middle Earth's society progress that far? Only the hobbits, and by nature they weren't a curious sort. So I don't think archaeology was popular east of the Sea.

Galadriel55 · 03-08-2012, 06:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elmo

Archaeology in the real world didn't get popular until the Victorian era. Did any of Middle Earth's society progress that far? Only the hobbits, and by nature they weren't a curious sort. So I don't think archaeology was popular east of the Sea.

But what if you have a new "modern" culture that appears in ME out of the blue in, say, the 4th age. It doesn't matter how or why or who. It's like in the movie Aftermath: Population Zero, where they describe what would happen to Earth is all the human population would disappear for whatever reasons.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkMXhKj0D4w - that's the movie, if you're interested, and they describe the situation in the first 3 or so minutes)

So, if out of the blue there is a new civilization/culture on ME, with all its past inhabbitants gone, I think it's quite possible to have some archeology. If you looks at it from Aftermath's perspective, it doesn't matter if the civilization is extraterrestrial or a new invention of Aule's, you just have to get over the far-fetched-ness and acceot the "what-if fact" of it being there.

Annalaliath · 01-23-2014, 05:58 PM

Yay for dredging upld topics....

While waiting to toast the Professer this year a few of us from the UNM Hobbit Society started talking abkut archaeology in Middle Earth... Again. I never got around to writing the paper, school, and work happened instead.
Some of the topics that were brought up:
1. The people burried in the dead marshes, and the implications of living friends and family not wanting to have them dug up and studied.
2. Geology
3. With those that live so long, who cares about archaeology, you can talk to an eye witness...

But that would be sometime after the war of the ring, rathert han a futur society that might evolve later.

03-08-2012, 05:45 PM	#5
Elmo Pittodrie Poltergeist Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: trying to find that warm and winding lane again Posts: 633	Archaeology in the real world didn't get popular until the Victorian era. Did any of Middle Earth's society progress that far? Only the hobbits, and by nature they weren't a curious sort. So I don't think archaeology was popular east of the Sea. __________________ As Beren looked into her eyes within the shadows of her hair, The trembling starlight of the skies he saw there mirrored shimmering.

01-23-2014, 05:58 PM	#7
Annalaliath Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 380	Yay for dredging upld topics.... While waiting to toast the Professer this year a few of us from the UNM Hobbit Society started talking abkut archaeology in Middle Earth... Again. I never got around to writing the paper, school, and work happened instead. Some of the topics that were brought up: 1. The people burried in the dead marshes, and the implications of living friends and family not wanting to have them dug up and studied. 2. Geology 3. With those that live so long, who cares about archaeology, you can talk to an eye witness... But that would be sometime after the war of the ring, rathert han a futur society that might evolve later. __________________ Bloody Stumps!!!