Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Insight" data-source="post: 4349692" data-attributes="member: 11437">It's the CLIMATE that plays the biggest role in how long manmade things last.  Humidity tends to screw with artificial stuff the most, so I wouldn't place your civilization in a rain forest or a swamp if you want it to be super-old.  Deserts are great, as are non-humid mountainous regions, although wind can also play an erosive part in destroying ruins and such.  Skeletons underground should be fine save for a flood or an underground water table thats fairly close to the surface, such as near a river or large lake (or the ocean).The OLDEST artifacts we have on Earth are around 7,000 years old, and most of them have been found in arid regions.  Keep in mind that the majority of archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists agree that civilized humans have been around for around 12,000 years, and have had some form of writing for not more than 7,000 years.  The point is that these artifacts have survived at least this long, but we don't have evidence to suggest (or disprove) that such artifacts could have survived longer (20,000, 40,000, 60,000 years?).The bottom line, though, is that you are free to do whatever you want in your campaign world.  How many of your players are scientists?  Probably none, so do whatever you want that makes some sense.  Also, keep in mind that none of the above factors in the possibility of magic in preserving an item or site from the ravages of time, wind, and humidity.</blockquote>

Verification