And thus concludes our preview of the Areuakoi and our Settlement Mini Preview.
We appreciate the fact that the "barbarian" factions are not the favourites of every fan, and therefore we would like to present something more culturally comprehensive from Europa Barbarorum II. Introducing the Resources Mini Preview:
Trade has been an important factor shaping our world and its cultures. The impact of trade and economy have been gigantic and these last years have demonstrated that clearly. Yet the economy and trade of the ancient world is very much different from what it is today. The economy of the ancient world, of which both Rome and classical Greece and our other factions were part of, is a very debated subject. Sources are numerous, yet fragmentary, and usually hard to interpret. What is commonly agreed upon is that the economy was based primarily, perhaps almost completely on agriculture. Long distance trade was only a small part of it; trade by some of the cultures in our game was even frowned upon as an activity for the upper class. Then again, other cultures saw agriculture as reprehensible and were mostly pastoral.
Long distance trade was hence minor and most markets mainly traded only local goods. Luxury goods such as spices, expensive cloth or salt, or rare raw materials, especially metals, however travelled large distances. Either due to sheer need, for example one simply needs iron for so many tools, or due to the large value of the good, the long distance nature of the travel was made worthwhile. The taxes levied on imported goods, especially those of high value, were rather lucrative nonetheless. In Ptolemaic Egypt, for which we have most information and records when it comes to the economy and state finances, imported goods were taxed at 20% to 50%. Thus stimulating and controlling such trade was profitable for the ancient states. This is also reflected in the history of our time frame in which expeditions and even wars were made to ensure part or monopoly of lucrative trade, especially as the demand of luxury goods was growing significantly during the Hellenistic age.
While large populations are now often production centres in the ancient period, cities were rather centres of consumption. Athens and Rome, for example, grew so large in population that they caused long distance trade of the most basic of common commodities; cereal. This Mediterranean grain trade, which is discussed below in greater detail, thus became the exception to the rule; it was low value but covered large distances.
Taxing trade, however, was in most cases not nearly as profitable as regular taxes on harvests, lands or property. But when the state could take over on the exploitation of local resources profits would increase. The most famous examples are of course the mines which were a costly investment, but did field a great return. Prisoners of war, slaves and convicts worked in horrible conditions, even by the standards of the time and hence wouldn’t be worked by freemen until the time of Hadrian. A lesser known example were the Ptolemaic state owned and run olive oil factories, which was also an important commodity, not just because of their use in cooking, but more importantly for the large quantities needed at gymnasia (an essential requirement for a settlement’s status and functioning as a true Polis). Often the basileus was fully or partly responsible providing olive oil for this use, making it essential for every Hellenistic basileus to control this trade resource.
The new resources in EB2 will try to reflect this situation and hence it was chosen to focus on luxury goods such as wine, Tyrian purple and exotic animals, famous long distance trade route commodities such as spices, salt and amber, a selection of vital raw materials such as metals, pitch and specialized timber and of course valuables as gold, silver and gems. Grain, olives or olive oil and slaves, on the other hand, were also traded it such large quantities, and were so typical of trading goods at the time they couldn't be left out. Below we’ll show you a complete list of the EB2 trade resources and their campaign map icons. In some cases there is a large discrepancy in the amount of text relating to each resource; as will all aspects of EBII this is because they are WIPs.
The resources and icons
Silver - This area has large deposits of silver. A major source of income, silver is prized for its high trade value. Some areas are famous for their high yield in this precious metal, like Laurion in Attike or Iberia.
The 3D model for the Silver resource
Gold - This area has large deposits of gold. Its great value and scarcity makes it highly prized all around the world. Basileos Philippos II of Makedonia and his son Megas Alexandros financed their wars in Greece and Asia mainly thanks to the 1,000 talents per year generated from the gold mines in Pangaion. Possession of a gold deposit such as this can finance a large campaign or augment the prestige and prosperity of a whole people.
The 3D model for the Gold resource
Iron - This area has large iron deposits. A valuable and important trade resource, vital for the production of weapons, armour and tools. Some areas have large and high-quality iron deposits, and some peoples trade high-grade (cf. "weapons-grade plutonium") weapons thanks to the yield of their iron mines, like the Boioi, Areuakoi and Rhaeti.
The 3D model for the Iron resource
Grain - This area yields high quantities of grain. Some areas are known for being "bread baskets" of the world due to the special characteristics of the soil and weather there, like Kart-Hadast, Delta Neiolu or Chersonesos. Great riches derive from large food exports, and control over an important part of the food supply is a major factor in politics.
By the time of Europa Barbarorum II agriculture had been established for several millennia, either focused primarily on agrarian (crop rearing) or pastoral (nomadic herding) systems, depending on where you lived. Many communities at this time had no need for grain imports. Many of the “barbarian” factions, for example, were entirely self-sufficient with regards to food, and even some of the smaller Hellenic poleis could support their populations on what they grew in the surrounding countryside. However, ever since the time of Gilgamesh, cities had existed, and even before the start of our timeframe, there had existed cities whose population was too large to be supported by the surrounding countryside alone. This fact did not go unnoticed by the ever entrepreneurial Greeks, in particular the Bosporan Greeks. Under the Spartocid dynasty, in particular, the Bosporan Kingdom grew rich on the back of the grain trade. In addition to grain, the Bosporan Greeks also exported slaves and dried fish to the Greek cities of the Aegean. The city of Theodosia, after its capture by the tyrant Leucon (387-347BC), would greatly enrich the Bosporan Kingdom as the port of Theodosia was the only harbour in the Crimea which remained ice free throughout the year. This enabled the Bosporan Greeks to trade with the Greek homelands throughout the year, in particular their biggest customer; Athens. The importance of the Bosporan grain shipments to Athens would be a key feature of the Peloponnesian Wars. The wealth this trade generated for the Bosporan Greeks is evidenced by the archaeological finds from their cities; Attic vases, Sarmatian and Greek goldwork, rich textiles, terracotta and marble. By the time of Europa Barbarorum II, however, the Bosporan grain trade was in a steady decline in the face of a much larger competitor.
Egypt, by virtue of its location, had long enjoyed a surplus of grain. Unlike the Tigris and Euphrates, which required extensive engineering in order to redirect the flow of the two rivers so as to irrigate fields, the Nile flooded annually, covering the surrounding fields with rich and highly fertile material washed down river from the Ethiopian highlands. Whereas a Mesopotamian farmer had to spend days digging, to ensure his fields would receive the necessary water to ensure a high yield of crops, Egyptian farmers could sit back and simply watch the Nile valley flood to such a predictable scale and timescale that Egyptian priests could use the river as an aid to their calendars. The native Pharaohs and their Nubian and Achaemenid successors had never really exported much of Egypt’s grain. The Ptolemies, however, did not fail to notice the opportunity that large grain exports presented. The cultural landscape of the eastern Mediterranean, in which Greek was the Lingua Franca, did much to aid the Ptolemies export of grain. From their newly constructed capital, Alexandria, the Ptolemies dispatched large grain fleets to the Greek homelands. Setting sail in April, using the seasonal Etesian Winds, Egyptian grain ships would sail north with an aim to land at Rhodes before entering the Aegean. Such a route, however, required a skilled captain and all too often the grain fleets would have to along the coast of Palestine and Koile-Syria, landing in Cilicia before being able to progress to the Aegean. Having sold their cargo to the various Greek city states, the grain ships would set sail again, this time south and along the coast of Libya before returning to Alexandria. The second leg of the journey had to be undertaken before the end of October, when the Etesian winds ceased, otherwise a grain ship and her crew would find themselves stranded in the Aegean and certain to miss out on the next years grain trade.
Ultimately the Ptolemaic trade would eclipse that of the Bosporan Kingdom. However by the end of the Europa Barbarorum II timeframe, it was Rome, not the Greek cities which had become the main consumer of Egyptian grain. Although Rome would also import large quantities of north African and Sicilian grain as well, the Egyptian exports would enjoy the greatest longevity; only the Arab conquests of Egypt would cause the Romans (by this point in history, Constantinople) to cease to import grain.
The 3D model for the Grain resource
Elephants / Ivory - This area has significant numbers of elephants, which can be either tamed and used for war, or killed for their highly valued ivory tusks. Libya, Neilos (Egypt? Kush?), India and Syria can each provide their own varieties of these beasts, but every breed is different and has its own peculiarities.
Historically, although the last European species of elephant, the woolly mammoth, became extinct at the end of the last Ice Age (although a small population of dwarf woolly mammoths would continue to survive until c. 1700 BC on Wrangel Island, Russia), all the non-island subspecies of Asian and African elephants were still extant by the start of EBII's timeframe. These included the now extinct North African forest elephant and the Syrian elephant, a western population of the Asian elephant which continued to survive in Syria, Anatolia and Mesopotamia until c. 100 BC. Elephants had two primary uses during this period: they were a source of ivory (the other main source being the walrus) and were used as mounts for war. Ivory, being malleable, easy to carve and having an attractive colour was highly sought after as a decorative material. Perhaps the most notable use of ivory was at the statue of Zeus at Olympia. The body of the god, which was constructed out of ivory and clothed in gold plated copper, was approximately 13 metres high and it is theorised that in order to form his ivory into sheets the architect, Phidias, soaked it in vinegar.
The other, and more famous, use of elephants was as war mounts. As a general rule the Seleukids and Mauryans employed Indian elephants (the Mauryans supplying the Seleukids with elephants as a result of a treaty between Seleukos I and Chandragupta Maurya), whilst the Ptolemaioi and Carthaginians made use of the North African forest subspecies. The difference in size between these two subspecies is noted by Polybius in his description of the Battle of Raphia in 217 BC where he describes how the larger Seleukid elephants routed their smaller Ptolemaic opponents. Even though the Ptolemaioi and Carthaginians used African elephants it must be remembered that these were of the North African subspecies, and not of the much larger savannah type. It is unclear whether or not the Syrian (west Asian) subspecies of elephant were used in battle. The species was likely still extant until the 1st century BC and Hannibal is recorded as having used an elephant called Surus. However, the Seleukid kings are recorded by Strabo and Polybius as having made use of Indian elephants. Whether this was because of the Indian elephants' reputation or whether these animals were imported due to a scarcity of Syrian elephants remains unclear. Similarly unclear are the methods used to capture elephants. Unlike other species, such as dogs, it is simply not possible to remove an elephant calf from its mother and raise it due to the fact that elephants have a lengthy weaning period and, as animals of higher intelligence, they tend to suffer from conditions such as depression. One story describes mahouts in Africa climbing onto the hind leg of a mother elephant and using a hatchet to hack at her leg. The mahout team would then lead the calf away and the now partially disabled mother would follow, thereby ensuring the survival of the calf. How widespread this method of elephant capture was is unclear.
The 3D model for the Elephants and Ivory resource
Wine - Wine - This area has the soil and weather conditions to grow vines, which can in turn produce high quantities of wine. First traded by the Hellenikoi and Kan'anim, who spread the knowledge of wine-making around the world, today wine forms an integral part of the culture of most peoples. Some areas produce delicious and highly prized wine, like southern Italy (called Oenotria or 'land of the wine' by the Hellenes), Sikelia or Kanaan, and the Keltoi are known to appreciate and consume large quantities of the beverage.
Historically, the earliest known production of wine was in modern day Georgia c. 7,000 BC. Whether or not other societies acquired the knowledge to produce wine independently or not is unclear, but wine was certainly being consumed in the Caucasus from the Neolithic era onwards, and by the Bronze Age it had become a feature of ceremonial life for many societies in the area. Alcoholic drinks were likely introduced to Europe during the Chalcolithic era, if not before, and micro-residue analysis has found alcohol was stored in a distinctive type of pottery called beakers which date to this time. Wine would enter Europe from the Near East, first being produced by the Greeks and then later by the Rasenna (Etruscans) of northern Italy. Wine was subsequently introduced to Iberia c. 800 BC by Phoenician traders with the Iberians developing indigenous wines shortly after. Although wine was being imported into northern Europe by both Greek and Etruscan merchants from the early Iron Age, it would not be until the second century AD that the first non-Mediterranean wine (in this case produced by Gallic vineyards) would be produced in sufficient quantity to be widely traded.
Wine was by no means the only alcoholic drink produced at this time. Beer was consumed by the Celts and Germanics, and on the steppe it is likely the Scythians and Sauromatae knew how to ferment milk. However, until the addition of hops in the 15th century, beer did not have sufficient alcoholic content to allow it to travel far without spoiling after a few days. Wine, however, could travel long distances and still be perfectly palatable once it had reached its destination. Alcoholic drinks in general, and wine in particular, were prestige goods. Thucydides remarked that “the peoples of the Mediterranean began to emerge from barbarism once they learned to cultivate the olive and vine”. Different cultures at this time consumed wine in different ways: for the Iranians and priests of Egypt and Babylon it was a drink of ceremony; for the Romani and Hellenes it was a drink of pleasure when diluted and a religious libation when not diluted, whilst for the Gauls and Britons it was a prestigious means of getting drunk quickly. Indeed, the demand for wine amongst the Celts was so great that Diodorus Siculus reports that Italian wine merchants could receive a slave in exchange for a single amphora.
In addition to the Mediterranean wine trade of this period, there was a vibrant trade in drinking kits, as archaeologists term them. Unlike the wine consumed in western societies today, which at most requires a corkscrew and a suitable glass to drink, the wine of this period required specialised equipment before it could be consumed. As the wine from this time was not filtered prior to being sealed in ceramic vessels (barrels, a Celtic invention, were not used for wine) it was necessary to sieve the wine after it was opened so as to remove any chaff that remained. Although it was possible to strain the wine with a simple piece of cloth, it was considered far better etiquette to use a purposefully produced kit. Typically, these kits consisted of a small bronze sieve and ladle, but could occasionally be much larger and more ornate. One such example from Vix, France, is an early Iron Age bronze krater. Originally produced in Greece, it was likely imported by a Celtic lord and is an impressive 1.63m in height. The Vix krater is both a vessel for holding wine and a strainer, the lid having been cast to act in such a way.
The wine trade is a major aid to archaeologists researching this period as, unlike the slave or grain trade, it has left visible signs of its activity. The first and most obvious remnants are the amphorae and other vessels in which the wine was transported. These are highly useful as they tend to be culture-specific; thus, for example, archaeologists have been able to track the emergence of Phoenician, Greek and Etruscan trading posts in Iberia, or track the course of Roman traders in Gaul. Amphorae also aid in establishing chronologies. One of the most well known types of amphora, the Roman Dressel type, has two forms which were not in use concurrently. This has enabled archaeologists to establish more refined chronologies for regions such as Britain and Gaul. Both the ceramics that wine was transported in, and the drinking equipment that was exported alongside them, provide archaeologists with a sort of negative image for resources which were traded but have left no discernible traces. As items such as slaves, tin and grain were transported to the Mediterranean from northern Europe, amphorae containing wine and merchants with bronze strainers headed in the opposite direction.
The 3D model for the Wine resource
Livestock - This area has large tracts of land that are fit for breeding large quantities of valuable livestock. Some areas can support a high number of sheep, goats, cattle, common horses, mules, camels, deer and boars, which are useful for labour or to produce milk, wool, meat, leather, hair and bone.
The 3D model for the Livestock resource
Gems - This area produces precious gems. Diamonds, pearls, sapphires and many other precious stones and minerals are highly prized and sought for because of their rarity and beauty. Some areas are famous for their output of precious stones, like the Indos or Persia.
The 3D model for the Gems resource
Specialised Timber - This area grows and sells specialised timber. Some countries have rare species of timber that are highly prized, like cedar trees in Lebanon or ebony in India. Other areas can produce specialised timber that can be used to construct ships.
Historically, timber was employed for a wide range of uses. In addition to construction, for which local timbers were normally employed, several types of timber were traded far and wide, such was their renown. As early as the Bronze Age, when an Egyptian priest named Wenamun set out to procure some, the famous cedar trees which today feature on the flag of Lebanon, were being traded. Cypress wood was likewise being imported to Egypt, in this case for its spicy aroma. In Egypt it would be used to construct funeral barges and would continue to be used to construct coffins (along with Lebanese cedars and other types of wood), such as the famous examples from Fayum, until the late Roman Empire. Ebony was also imported by the Egyptians for use in their tombs. The black African wood was shipped down the Nile and then, via Alexandria, entered the markets of the Mediterranean. In temperate Europe oak was sought after as a construction material where it was employed in the construction of large structures, such as those from the Hallstatt site of Heuneberg, and large vessels, such as those of the Veneti. Indeed, oak was so prized as a material for shipbuilding that Scandinavian traders would later purchase Irish oak for use in their longships. Cork was likewise sought after in the construction of ships; its capacity for expanding when soaked and being able to float meant that it was employed in sealing gaps in ships timbers. Hazel, which had been used since the Mesolithic, was particularly popular when constructing arrows and javelins. It is possible to split a living hazel trunk so that it grows into numerous, straight branches in a short space of time. This process can be regularly repeated without fear of harming the tree. The importance of hazel as a source of projectiles is recorded in the early Medieval Irish epic Táin Bó Cúailnge, in which the hero, Cú Chulainn, kills one of his opponents by using a hazel branch as a javelin. Ash, which had been used as early as the Neolithic for bows, was also appreciated for its upright growth, and by the time of Europa Barbarorum II it was the preferred wood for hoplites spears. Even fossilised timber was imported for its qualities. Jet, which is formed by extreme pressures acting on decaying timbers, was highly sought after for a number of uses. Jet is an unusual material, it is warm to touch, floats on water and conducts electricity. Since the Chalcolithic it had been used for jewellery, but by the time of Europa Barbarorum II it was being employed for other uses; in Rome, for example, it was believed that jet could be used to determine if a woman was a virgin or not. One final type of timber which was sought after was that produced by the arak tree. Arak branches were used by Persians for a tool they called a siwak, a toothbrush.
The 3D model for the Specialised Timber resource
Quarry - This area has a rock quarry that produces marble or granite, which are important materials for construction. The Pentelikon Mountain in Attike is known for its marble, which was used to build the Akropolis in Athenai. Other areas can supply high quality granite, invaluable for building walls and other fortifications.
The 3D model for the Quarry resource
Special Dyes - This area produces special dyes, like Tyrian purple, woad or indigo. Some regions like India, Kanaan and Pretannike are known to have the natural resources (like murex) to produce important quantities of exotic dye that is very valuable as a trade resource.
Historically, the wearing of dyed clothing, at least in most societies, was an indicator of wealth, especially if you wore multicoloured clothes. Simple white clothes were easy to produce. The vast majority of clothes from this period were made of cloth, which is naturally white. Bleeching to increase the whiteness of the fabric could also be achieved, at least in warmer climes, by simply exposing the fabric to the sun for extended periods of time. By contrast, dyeing required effort, time, and in many cases, money. All the dyes used in this period came from animals and plants. Their production and application required time. To be able to wear dyed clothes, and multicoloured ones at that, announced to the world that you had the time and money to be able to produce and purchase such items. Diodorus described the Gallic dress sense as “striking” and noted the Gallic preference for brightly coloured shirts and stripped cloaks. There were of course some exceptions to the rule that dyed clothes indicated wealth. For example the Roman toga and Greek chiton had very little dye (in the case of Roman consuls only an inner lining of purple was dyed into the fabric), in these cases it was the material and fold of the fabric which announced the wearers wealth.
Dyeing was performed using large basins or vats into which the dyes were poured and the cloth worked. Vats such as this continue to be used in North Africa and other regions which have not industrialised. The variety of colours which sites such as these can produce is incredible, but in antiquity there was one colour which was superior to all; purple. Later Roman legionaries and provincial authorities would attempt to produce purple by mixing red and blue dyes, however if you were an aristocrat in any society there was only one, official, source of purple; murex shells. The murex is a predatory sea snail, the shell of which can be ground to produce an exquisite purple. In antiquity one group of people held a monopoly on the trade in murex purple; the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians were probably the first people to farm an animal on a scale which today we would call industrial. They kept murex snails in ceramic jars and produced the dye at dedicated sites so large that Tyre and Sidon stank of the dyeing process. Archaeological evidence has shown that each jar contained a high number of murex snails, with many shells showing evidence of being eaten by other murex snails. Such indicators are common in modern animals which are housed in cramped and stressful conditions. Indeed the Phoenician monopoly of the murex purple trade was so great, that our word for Phoenician actually comes from the Greek word for purple.
The 3D model for the Special Dyes resource
Incense - This area produces highly prized incense, an important luxury and religious commodity. Some areas like southern Arabia owe an important part of their prosperity to the production and trade of frankincense and myrrh.
Historically, the incense trade was a key feature of Arabia. The incense trade was a collection of routes followed by the nomadic and semi-nomadic traders who travelled 1,200 miles from the southern, incense-producing lands to the north of Arabia. This trade came into existence when the camel, whose domestication most probably began around 3000 BC, started to be used as a pack animal in the second half of the second millennium BC. Most often authors put forth 1200 BC as an estimate. Before this trade was mainly done by sea and limited mostly to the Eastern coast of the Peninsula, especially the pearls from Dilmun and the copper from Magan were popular trading goods prior to the existence of the incense routes. One must not forget that incense and myrrh were not the only goods that travelled these routes; spices, minerals and gems - imported from India, Soqotra ,Africa and from Arabia proper - also formed an important and significant part of the Arabian trade.
The incense routes were a collection of multiple routes, which passed and led to many different settlements and markets. The importance of the various routes shifted with time and not all routes are likely to have been in use contemporaneously. The most important and best-known routes were those following the Red Sea coast in the West. The most important incense-producing lands were those of the Hadramawt in modern East Yemen and especially the Qara mountains in what is now called the Dhofar region, which lie on the southern coast of present day Oman. The latter was presumably home to the 'Ad tribes or legendary Ubarites, one of the many peoples of Arabia fabled for being immensely rich, however little evidence for them exists. Around the fourth or third century BC the Hadramawt founded outposts and ports on these coasts with Sumhuram as the most known and famous one.
From here traders travelled westwards to lands of the Qatabân and the Sabaeans, which also produced incense but in lesser quantities. The main branch of the incense routes then went northwards into the lands of the federation of the most famous incense traders, the Ma’in or Minaeans. As with most of the southern Arabian kingdoms their economy was largely based on the numerous and heavy taxes the traders had to pay in return for their protection. The Ma’in were considered the greatest traders of all and were known for their long-distance trade, especially with their main trade partner, Egypt. The extent of their trading networks is most noticeably evidenced in not just Egypt but even as far as Delos, where an altar devoted to their god Wadd was erected. Along these routes communities settled and some large cities may even have been founded, presumably as trade colonies. The Ma’in are often regarded and credited as the founders of some of the northern trade settlements such as Dedan. What we do know, however, is that Ma’in influence and even rule at times indeed extended this far north, as Minaic kings are attested in local epigraphic texts.
After leaving the nucleus of Ma’in territory, an important branch separated at Najran, home of the Muh ‘amar, one of the largest of the southern settlements, to cross the peninsula north-eastwards towards the remote but prosperous coastal sea trading city of Gerrha. From here the incense was traded largely by sea but it also travelled farther on camelback to Persia and later the Seleucid or Parthian empires. Early on the incense routes were supplemented by sea routes as for example the important sea route in the Red Sea with Leuke Kome as the end station, from which camels brought it further north. In the west the main end stations were Petra, Palmyra and the ports of Gaza and Alexandria. From here incense was spread and sold to most of the known world, where it was most precious as it was needed for many religious ceremonies.
The 3D model for the Incence resource
Slaves - This area has a permanent slave market. Slaves provide a cheap source of labour, and in certain industries such as mining are the only workforce available Better?. Building projects in particular are often impossible without involuntary labour. While the conditions that make some regions good sources of slaves are usually dynamic (the conquest and enslavement of a people, for instance), there are some locations that constantly trade slaves thanks to a perpetual state of conflict in the vicinity, like Chersonesos or the Rhone and Rhine river valleys.
The 3D model for the Slaves resource
Honey - Honey - This area produces large quantities of honey, a valuable trade resource and a vital ingredient if one wishes to sweeten a meal or drink. For instance, honey was sometimes mixed into wine to make it sweeter and tastier! Throughout much of the ancient world, honey was the primary sweetening agent, refined sugar as we know it today not being available. The sugar cane was known in India, but reports, such as those of the traveler Megasthenes, of reeds that produced syrup were widely believed to be nothing but tall tales, just like the stories of bushes that produced wool (cotton).
Honey also had other uses. For instance, the Romans used to make various gems appear more glossy and beautiful by boiling them in honey. Allegedly, the honey from Corsica was best suited for this purpose, due to its sour taste.
The 3D model for the Honey resource
Lead - This area has an important lead deposit. Lead can also be obtained as a by-product of silver smelting. This widespread metal is very malleable and easy to work with, whilst, unlike iron, being resistant to corrosion, which makes it perfect for plumbing and other uses. Some areas are known for their large lead deposits, like Iberia, Prettanike or Mikra Asia.
Historically lead had a variety of uses in antiquity. As lead is non-corrosive and rather un-reactive it can be used as an additive when casting other metals. In the late Bronze Age it was used in the casting of axe heads, a process which culminated in the Armorican type; a series of axeheads which had so much lead added to them that they were too soft to be of any real use. The non-corrosive nature of lead also meant it was used by plumbing; although this would have ensured clean water it would also have resulted in increased cases of lead poisoning. Lead could also be used in place of precious metals, as evidenced by the famous “Eureka!” story of Archimedes, when he realised he could use the law of displacement to determine the gold content of Hiero of Syracuse votive crown. The weight of lead was also appreciated, and it was employed for depth measures on ships and later by Roman surveyors as a dead weight when they wished to layout new roads.
The 3D model for the Lead resource
Tin - This area has a major deposit of tin, a valuable trade resource and an important material in the production of bronze. As such, this mineral is fundamental for the production of weapons, tools and adornments. The isles of Prettanike are known as "The Tin Islands" because of their particularly large tin deposits.
Historically, tin was one of the most widely traded metals in the ancient world. Although tin is a weak metal and of little use by itself, it is a vital ingredient in the production of bronze. Iron is a stronger material than bronze, but it was not until the Middle Ages in Europe and the Near East that it was possible to cast iron, until then all iron was wrought. If you lived in antiquity and wanted to cast a metal object which was strong enough to be an effective tool, then bronze was the material which you would have used. The problem is that the metal which tin is combined with to produce bronze, copper, never occurs at the same site as tin. It is thus necessary to import at least one, if not both, of these metals. On the Europa Barbarorum II map one of the largest deposits of tin is found in Britain and it is discussed below.
The British Isles are fortunate in that copper and tin both occur in the islands; copper is found in southern Ireland whilst tin exists in south west Britain. This proximity resulted in Britain and, in particular Ireland, experiencing an archaeologically rich Bronze Age (of course the use of bronze objects, both decorative and utilitarian, was restricted to the elite). It is highly unlikely that the Neolithic inhabitants of Britain and Ireland learned how to extract and work first copper, and later tin, by themselves, and so it is theorised that metal prospectors from Bronze Age states arrived in the British Isles and from these prospectors the indigenous population learnt how to mine copper and tin and thereby cast bronze. These hypothetical prospectors would also help explain how the British Isles initially became involved in long distance trade, which saw the tin mined in Cornwall eventually being cast by Italian and Punic bronzesmiths (as Italy lacks bronze deposits the population initially used arsenic instead of bronze, a suitable if poisonous, alternative).
By the time of Europa Barbarorum II the tin mined in Britain followed a trade route which archaeologists have managed to reconstruct with some confidence. The only contemporary historical evidence for trade in this region occurs in the Massaliote Periplus, a Phocaean Greek account which survives in the 4th Century AD Roman work by Avienus Ora Maritima, and the account of the Greek merchant Pytheas, who sailed to Brittany via the Atlantic between 300 and 325BC. Both of these accounts are scant and of little use in reconstructing the dynamics of the tin trade routes but they do show that, as early as the fourth century BC if not very likely even earlier, the tin producing regions of Britain were involved in long distance trade networks with the Mediterranean. Fortunately the archaeological record is of more help in determining the dynamics of the Atlantic tin trade. Once mined, the tin was likely melted into ingots, which Diodorus Siculus described as being knuckle bone shaped, and transported to the Solent region of south central England. There it was loaded onto ships which would cross the English Channel and hug the coast of Brittany until reaching the mouths of the Garonne and Rhone rivers. The Iron Age settlement pattern of south west Britain and Brittany is the same; well defended inland and coastal enclosures. In later centuries, Roman Dressel 1A amphora would be imported in substantial quantities to Brittany and the Solent region of Britain. Both the homogenous settlement pattern and evidence of Roman imports to these regions has been interpreted as evidence of close contacts over a long period of time; the most likely mechanism to facilitate such long term contact is trade. Additionally, finds of Greek and Carthaginian coins dated to the Iron Age from the south coast of Britain add further to the evidence that the tin trade was well established and long distance.
Some ships headed on further until reaching the, likewise tin rich, coast of northern Iberia, and trading with the Phoenician outposts of southern Portugal. It is unlikely that these ships completed such voyages in a single trip, instead they probably only travelled a short distance before transferring the tin, and other cargo, onto another vessel. Pliny, quoting Timaeus (Nat. Hist. IV, 16) described the boats the Britons used as being "of osier covered with stitched hides", and the complete lack of native wrecks from the Iron Age in this region suggests the boats being used in the tin trade were of light construction, ill suited to deep sea voyages. It used to be theorised that the large vessels which Caesar described the Veneti as using were employed for trade such as this, however, based on numismatic evidence from Britain, it does not appear the Veneti were not involved in the English Channel section of this trade, although they may have used their ships to transport goods through the Bay of Biscay.
The vessels which took delivery of the tin at the mouths of the Gironne and Rhone would transport the metal south. Along their journey they would trade with the powerful tribes of central Gaul, it should come as no surprise that many of the Gallic oppida in this region are found in the vicinity of rivers. Finally the merchants would sail on to the coast of the Mediterranean to do business with the Greeks of Massalia and Emporion. The Roman conquest of Gallia Narbonensis, far from disrupting this ancient pattern of trade, accelerated it. The all consuming Roman market, with its appetite for high quality decorative bronzes not the mention the Roman military’s need for bronze equipment, meant that tin, as well as numerous other resources (including humans) were traded in ever greater quantities. In exchange for tin the Romans paid in wine filled amphorae and coin, both of which entered the British archaeological record at this time. The English Channel-Gironne-Rhone axis would remain active until the end of Gallic independence in 52BC. After this date the Roman occupation of Gaul and Belgica brought the Mediterranean markets, which British merchants sought, right to their doorsteps. Until the end of Roman rule in west, the main route of trade for resources such as tin became the Rhine, not least because the majority of Rome’s legions in the west were stationed on the Rhine frontier. This shift in trade routes had major consequences for the Iron Age societies of Gaul and Britain; the western British and Armorican tribes, having lost control of the tin trade, became impoverished as evidenced by the debasing of their previously silver rich coinage and lack of Roman imports in the years following 50BC, whilst the eastern Britons and Belgae enjoyed an increase in wealth and imports.
The 3D model for the Tin resource
Spices - This area produces rare spices, a very prized commodity in today's kitchen. Some areas like Kyrene produce rare spices like silphion, a plant which produces a resin that can be used both as seasoning and as a medicine for treating ailments as wide-ranging as x, y, and even pregnancy. Iberia supplies Garum, a seasoning made of fermented fish entrails, and India produces several expensive varieties of spice which are unique to the area.
During the Hellenistic period, trade between the Graeco-Roman world and India grew rapidly. Many spices and perfume ingredients greatly coveted in the Graeco-Roman world, such as peppers, cinnamon, sandalwood and nardus, grew in India, and with the growing wealth of the Hellenistic kingdoms, and later, the Roman Republic, demand for these goods increased. The trade of these goods was greatly helped by the expansion of maritime trade. During the Ptolemaic period, several ports were constructed on the red sea cost, from which Ptolemaic traders sailed eastwards. Many went no further that to southern Arabia, where they met up with Indian traders who brought their goods, but there are accounts of several greek traders actually visiting India, and also a rare account of an Indian trader named Sophon having visited the port of Berenike on the Red Sea coast. The biggest explosion intrade between India and the West came later, in the early first century AD, following the discovery of the monsoon winds. One of our most important sources on this trade is the so called "Periplus of the Erythrayan Sea", which was written by a merchant who had made the journey to India and back himself, thus giving us a very valuable first-hand account. The monsoon winds allowed traders to make a direct sea journey to India, without the necessity of time consuming stops along the way to resupply. As a result, many Roman traders frequented India, and several small tarding colonies were even established, the best known being Barbaricum, close to the Indus river delta. These were probably not so much real roman colonies, as they were something akin to a "Roman quarter" in a bigger settled area, but their importance to the trade flow cannot be underestimated. These "colonies" allowed merchants to deal directly with the sellers of spices and perfumes, instead of middle-men as had often been the case in Ptolemaic times. The trade also allowed vast amounts of roman gold to accumulate in the hands of Indian rulers, in this case, the Kushan monarchs. indeed, so much roman coinage flowed into india that some of the early Kushan rulers based their coins on the standards of roman coins (of Augustus), and there are even examples of re-strikings, where the face and name of a Kushan monarch was imprited on top of the face of Augustus.
The 3D model for the Spices resource
Olives - This area has the apposite soil and weather conditions to grow olive trees. These in turn can produce high quantities of the best olive oil, a fundamental ingredient in cooking, fuel, skin ointment and a thousand other uses!
The 3D model for the Olives resource
Amber - This area has large deposits of amber, a valuable jewel. Amber is highly prized for its beauty and uniqueness. Its trade stretches from the Germanic Sea to the north, to the lands of the Hellenoi to the far south and beyond.
Historically, amber was a highly sought after material for use in jewelry, with the Mediterranean societies paying handsome prices for it. As a result a trade route developed which spanned from the amber producing lands of the Baltic down to Italy and Greece. This trade route also appears to have played a substantial role in the rise of Boii north of the Alps. The oppida of the Boii appear to have been constructed so as to lie in the path of the main amber trade routes.
Its said the merchant Pytheas once traded seal skins, whalebone, and walrus ivory with the people that dwelt upon the northern shore of a wind-swept sea called Morimarusa (Baltic). This well-traveled Greek claims that this inland sea extends 700 miles, yet only one day sail from the territory of the rustic Gutes there is the isle of Abalus (Saaremaa) where the natives collect the Fire-stone, thrown up by the waves of spring. The Fire-stone is known by many names which include; Elektron, Succinum, Glaes, Gentaros, Brewstainoz, Meripihka, and Amber. It is used in perfumes, as a healing agent, and as jewelry; however, the natives burn it for warmth or sell it to foreigners who earn great wealth from its trade.
Of the mystical isle of Abalus the natives say long ago an evil god stoled the Sun and turned the light of day into night. Thus the sky god Ukko resolved to make a new Sun of a Fire-stone but from it a spark fell from heaven and hit the ground. They say this spark fall on Abalus with a thunderous flash that shook the earth, dug a pool, and filled the sky with ash as the woodlands burned. Another story tells about Jū̂ra, the goddess of the tranquil and bountiful sea, as well as all aquatic creatures and Amber. She spurned the jealous and often vengeful sea god Antrempas. He bitterly complained to his brother the thunder god how Jūra had dishonored and humiliated him. Enraged the storm god utterly destroying Jūra's mortal husband and wrecking her home. As further punishment and shame, Jūra was chained to the seabed. There in perpetuity, each time Antrempas commanded the sea to storm, Jū̂ra pays a hefty wage in Amber tears, tossed on the shore of Abalus by waves for the careless use of humankind.
The story about Ukko and the sun is a Finnish myth about a meteorite that fell on Saaremaa around 700 BC, and it provides a colourful description of the discovery of amber in the Baltic by Mediterranean explorers: Its said the merchant Pytheas once traded seal skins, whalebone, and walrus ivory with the people that dwelt upon the northern shore of a wind-swept sea called Morimarusa (Baltic). This well-traveled Greek claims that this inland sea extends 700 miles, yet only one day sail from the territory of the rustic Gutes there is the isle of Abalus (Saaremaa) where the natives collect the Fire-stone, thrown up by the waves of spring. The Fire-stone is known by many names which include; Elektron, Succinum, Glaes, Gentaros, Brewstainoz, Meripihka, and Amber. It is used in perfumes, as a healing agent, and as jewelry; however, the natives burn it for warmth or sell it to foreigners who earn great wealth from its trade.
Of the mystical isle of Abalus the natives say long ago an evil god stoled the Sun and turned the light of day into night. Thus the sky god Ukko resolved to make a new Sun of a Fire-stone but from it a spark fell from heaven and hit the ground. They say this spark fall on Abalus with a thunderous flash that shook the earth, dug a pool, and filled the sky with ash as the woodlands burned. Another story tells about Jū̂ra, the goddess of the tranquil and bountiful sea, as well as all aquatic creatures and Amber. She spurned the jealous and often vengeful sea god Antrempas. He bitterly complained to his brother the thunder god how Jūra had dishonored and humiliated him. Enraged the storm god utterly destroying Jūra's mortal husband and wrecking her home. As further punishment and shame, Jūra was chained to the seabed. There in perpetuity, each time Antrempas commanded the sea to storm, Jū̂ra pays a hefty wage in Amber tears, tossed on the shore of Abalus by waves for the careless use of humankind.
The 3D model for the Amber resource
Copper - This area has large copper deposits, a fundamental metal in the production of bronze alloy, tools and mirrors. Some areas are famous for the large quantities of copper found there; the island of Kyprios, for example, is particularly famous for its copper deposits, so much so that it was named after the metal. However, the high demand for this metal means that the copper trade stretches far and wide across land, river and sea.
Salt - There is a major salt deposit in this area. Salt is a highly prized resource, invaluable for the seasoning and preservation of food. It is obtained either through the evaporation of salt water, as is practised in Kanaan and the Illyrian Sea, or through mining, like it has been done for centuries in the land of the Herminonez.
The 3D model for the Copper resource
Warhorses/Wild Equines - In these plains grazes a powerful breed of horse, fit to form the very best cavalry squadrons. Some areas are known for their particularly powerful, nimble or fast horse breeds, which are sought after to form able and distinctive types of cavalry. Horses from Iberia, Thessalia or the fearsome Nisean horses of Media are counted among the best breeds in the world.
Historically, during EBII's time period Eurasia and Africa were home to a greater number of wild horse species than they are today, as well as to substantial populations of feral horses. On the European steppe the now extinct European wild horse, the tarpan, roamed, whilst in central Asia Przewalski’s horse existed in far greater numbers than it does today. Certain feral horse populations are of particular note. The Nisean herds of central Iran provided the large, thick-boned animals on which Iranian and Seleukid heavy cavalry relied, whilst in Britain feral ponies were broken in to provide the Britons with mounts for their cavalry and traction for their chariots. Although not strictly horses, the closely related Asiatic onager and African wild ass could also be found from North Africa to India and likely contributed hardy and healthy genes to the domestic breeding stock of donkeys in those regions and had in the past been used to pull Mesopotamian chariots.
The 3D model for the Horses/Wild Equines resource
Exotic Animals - This area has a large market of exotic animals, caught in the nearby wildlands. These animals are sold as luxury items to distant rulers, who pay good coin to possess such beasts.
Historically, those animal species which survived the mass extinctions which occurred at the end of the last Ice Age continued to thrive in Europe, Africa and Asia. Big cats such as the leopard and tiger could be found ranging from Siberia to the Caucasus, as attested to in artwork produced by the societies which lived in those regions, and as late as the 1st century BC European lions continued to live in the Balkans. The fearsome wild European cattle, the auroch, could be found in Gaul, Germania and Eastern Europe, where it would survive until finally becoming extinct in the 17th century. On the Eurasian steppe the tarpan, a wild species of horse, thrived, whilst the great auk , a member of the auk and puffin family which had evolved to fit the ecological niche of the Antarctic penguin, could be found in the Atlantic and North Sea and in north Africa now extinct species such as the Barbary lion and Atlas bear inhabited the Atlas Mountains. Species which are now rare today, such as the Asiatic lion, European bison, Iberian lynx and European ibex, enjoyed far higher populations whilst highly adaptable species such as the Eurasianwolf, wild boar and golden eagle could be found ranging from Ireland to India.
Exotic and wild animals were prized by ancient societies as living ornaments, as sport, as a source of food and furs and as symbols of status. During the Bronze Age Mycenaean kings had used boar tusks to construct elaborate helmets which they wore when hunting lions in northern Greece. Their contemporaries, the Minoans, imported aurochs from temperate Europe which were then used in gymnastic displays where young Minoans would leap over charging bulls to prove their athleticism. The Achaemenid Persian Shahanshahs had maintained zoos containing species such as Persian leopards and hunted Asiatic lions from chariots and the pelts of various big cats were prized by Hellenic, Iranian and Indian nobles alike. In temperate Europe excavations of graves in Germany and the Low Countries have found evidence that bear furs had been interred, as evidenced by pairs of claws from bears' forelegs, presumably to be worn by the graves' occupants in the afterlife. Excavations of the Iron Age Irish site Emain Macha have even produced the skull of a North African Barbary ape, likely imported as a pet in the 1st century AD. Perhaps the most famous use of exotic animals during this period, however, was for Roman public games. Even before the Circus Maximus was constructed Roman nobles competed to import ever more exotic animals including big cats, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, elephants and even a camelleopard (a giraffe).
The 3D model for the Exotic Animals resource
Pitch - This area produces pitch. This can either be bitumen, extracted from the ground and used to protect wooden walls, seal the roofs of houses or hulls of ships and waterproof sails; or resin, which can Since the present tense is used elsewhere also be used to spice and disinfect food, or to produce the resinous wine so loved by the Hellenes.
Preview: The Areuakoi
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Originally Posted by war is hell
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