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<blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 6117680" data-attributes="member: 92305"><p><strong>HYBORIAN TECHNOLOGY</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>What you see below are notes I've taken while reading L. Sprage de Camp's essay that originally appeared in <em>Amra</em> magazine and was republished with other articles in <strong>The Blade of Conan</strong>. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Mining and Metallurgy:</strong> The Hyborians know gold, silver, tin (bronze), copper, lead, and iron. Mercury can be implied. Brass, but not necessarily recognizing zinc. Ferrous metallurgy is well developed in hard iron and Akbitanan steel.</p><p></p><p>Gold and silver are used lavishly. Ores are probably extracted by mine slavery.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Leather Goods:</strong> Textiles are probably crude or expensive since so much leather is worn. Leather drinking jacks are used.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Textiles:</strong> Probably wool and possibly linen. Silk.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Glass & Vitreous Materials:</strong> The Hyborians have high technology with glass. Natural crystals are used as well.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Chemistry & Chemical Products:</strong> Beer, ale, wine. Sugar. Strong acids.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Cities & City Planning:</strong> Some cities have lighted streets at night. Rudimentary planning and zoning (Temple Districts).</p><p></p><p>There are also quite a few cities left over from former times: An entire city built like one vast house, and the cities built of a green, jade-like stone. Xapur is green but has separate builidings. Xachotl has interconnected buildings built of various colored stone. Xuthal is interconnected and green.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Monuments & Architecture:</strong> Architects know the arch and the dome. Extravagant use of marble, jet, and jade. Pyramids. Tall, cylindrical towers (150 foot). </p><p></p><p>Secret passages, sliding panels, trapdoors, and deadfalls often used.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Houses & Furniture:</strong> Solid furniture. Desks. Advanced key locks. Combination locks are known. Lighting by candles or oil lamps. Perfumes.</p><p></p><p>Xuthal and Xuchotl are lighted by radium gems and green-fire gems, which suggests a higher technology in the past (or maybe of unworldly origin).</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Waterworks & Sewage:</strong> Large Hyborian cities have complete public sewers. Some private sewers as well.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Roads & Bridges:</strong> Well made stone roads. Graded dirt roads. Road maintenance probably happens often. Bridges, though, seem few and far between.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Fortification & Siegecraft:</strong> Castellated or battlemented walls is the standard. Molten lead poured on attackers. Porticullis.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Arms & Armor:</strong> Sword, mace, bill, dagger, spear, axe. The sword seems to be more common than the spear (or any other weapon).</p><p></p><p>Armor includes scale mail, ring mail, brigadine armor, chain mail, and steel plate armor. Complete, jointed suite of plate armor and knight cavalry available to the richest nations.</p><p></p><p>Defensive headgear includes: mail coif, horned helm, bronze crested helm, visored salade, basinet, burganet, and morion.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Machines & Siege Engines:</strong> Crossbow. Catapults. Ballista. Trebuchet.</p><p></p><p>Sophisticated mechanisms to operate trap doors, boobytraps, and deadfalls. Pipe organs. Natural lodestones.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Vehicles & Harness:</strong> Camel. Horse. Sturrup. Chariots.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Ships & Rigging:</strong> Galleys/Rowing + Sailing vessels. Some rowers free men, some slaves. Carracks. Galleons. Anchor chain. Topsail. Jib. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Miscellaneous Artifacts:</strong> Polished silver (or other metal) mirrors. Barrels. Candles. Coins. Water clocks. Parchment. Pen & ink.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Pure Science:</strong> Cosmology is advanced enough to realize that Earth is a planet. Optics advanced enough to make elaborate spytubes. Advanced gear technology.</p><p></p><p>Super hypnotism/mesmerism.</p><p></p><p>Superscience from the past: Tolkemec's electronic disintegrator, synethic food of the Xuthalians, luminous gems of Xuthal and Xachotl.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>SUMMATION:</strong> "The Hyborian Age can be best compared to the great days of the Byzantine Empire with some features of armor and rigging from later medieval times." -- L. Sprage de Camp.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Water Bob, post: 6117680, member: 92305"] [B]HYBORIAN TECHNOLOGY[/B] What you see below are notes I've taken while reading L. Sprage de Camp's essay that originally appeared in [I]Amra[/I] magazine and was republished with other articles in [B]The Blade of Conan[/B]. [B]Mining and Metallurgy:[/B] The Hyborians know gold, silver, tin (bronze), copper, lead, and iron. Mercury can be implied. Brass, but not necessarily recognizing zinc. Ferrous metallurgy is well developed in hard iron and Akbitanan steel. Gold and silver are used lavishly. Ores are probably extracted by mine slavery. [B]Leather Goods:[/B] Textiles are probably crude or expensive since so much leather is worn. Leather drinking jacks are used. [B]Textiles:[/B] Probably wool and possibly linen. Silk. [B]Glass & Vitreous Materials:[/B] The Hyborians have high technology with glass. Natural crystals are used as well. [B]Chemistry & Chemical Products:[/B] Beer, ale, wine. Sugar. Strong acids. [B]Cities & City Planning:[/B] Some cities have lighted streets at night. Rudimentary planning and zoning (Temple Districts). There are also quite a few cities left over from former times: An entire city built like one vast house, and the cities built of a green, jade-like stone. Xapur is green but has separate builidings. Xachotl has interconnected buildings built of various colored stone. Xuthal is interconnected and green. [B]Monuments & Architecture:[/B] Architects know the arch and the dome. Extravagant use of marble, jet, and jade. Pyramids. Tall, cylindrical towers (150 foot). Secret passages, sliding panels, trapdoors, and deadfalls often used. [B]Houses & Furniture:[/B] Solid furniture. Desks. Advanced key locks. Combination locks are known. Lighting by candles or oil lamps. Perfumes. Xuthal and Xuchotl are lighted by radium gems and green-fire gems, which suggests a higher technology in the past (or maybe of unworldly origin). [B]Waterworks & Sewage:[/B] Large Hyborian cities have complete public sewers. Some private sewers as well. [B]Roads & Bridges:[/B] Well made stone roads. Graded dirt roads. Road maintenance probably happens often. Bridges, though, seem few and far between. [B]Fortification & Siegecraft:[/B] Castellated or battlemented walls is the standard. Molten lead poured on attackers. Porticullis. [B]Arms & Armor:[/B] Sword, mace, bill, dagger, spear, axe. The sword seems to be more common than the spear (or any other weapon). Armor includes scale mail, ring mail, brigadine armor, chain mail, and steel plate armor. Complete, jointed suite of plate armor and knight cavalry available to the richest nations. Defensive headgear includes: mail coif, horned helm, bronze crested helm, visored salade, basinet, burganet, and morion. [B]Machines & Siege Engines:[/B] Crossbow. Catapults. Ballista. Trebuchet. Sophisticated mechanisms to operate trap doors, boobytraps, and deadfalls. Pipe organs. Natural lodestones. [B]Vehicles & Harness:[/B] Camel. Horse. Sturrup. Chariots. [B]Ships & Rigging:[/B] Galleys/Rowing + Sailing vessels. Some rowers free men, some slaves. Carracks. Galleons. Anchor chain. Topsail. Jib. [B]Miscellaneous Artifacts:[/B] Polished silver (or other metal) mirrors. Barrels. Candles. Coins. Water clocks. Parchment. Pen & ink. [B]Pure Science:[/B] Cosmology is advanced enough to realize that Earth is a planet. Optics advanced enough to make elaborate spytubes. Advanced gear technology. Super hypnotism/mesmerism. Superscience from the past: Tolkemec's electronic disintegrator, synethic food of the Xuthalians, luminous gems of Xuthal and Xachotl. [B]SUMMATION:[/B] "The Hyborian Age can be best compared to the great days of the Byzantine Empire with some features of armor and rigging from later medieval times." -- L. Sprage de Camp. [/QUOTE]
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