I just felt the various separate “olman threads” while interestimg are tending to repeat themselves, fragmenting the discussion within the forum. I hope no one objects but I think consolidating the central ideas within a single thread would consolidate the opinion and produce a better debate of the olman people within GH. (not to mention easier to find).
I am the first to admit, I am no meso-american or even GH historical expert but I know when a theory “feels plausible” as my litmus test…
For a homeland, people must have resources to sustain their population and a reason for migration, if it’s abandoned. People tend to take the path of least resistance, most resources for the smallest effort as well as choosing areas similar to their original homeland so their skills can be easily transferred to the new land.
The original Olman homeland theories to date:
1) SKR Hepmonaland theory
2) Chatdemon Pomarj theory
3) GVD Hellfurnances foothills theory
4) Chibirias Southwest of the Amedio Jungle theory
My Thoughts…
1) The Hepmonland theory fails to provide a valid answer to the mountainous / grassland hunting pictograph found within The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth since no mountains exist in hepmonaland and many are concerned about the olman culture simply placed as colonial prey for the SB.
2) The Pomarj theory has the mountainous and grassland geographical features however I find the migration locale chosen for the olman people, the amedio jungle highly problematic. Simply I can’t see how the entire population left the pomarj, no stubborn hold-outs in the hills, also the locale, given their agricultural leanings, would not the more fertile lands to the north or east via ship be much more desirable or via land any area along the route to the amedio jungle is extremely tempting. Their were no stragglers falling out as happened with every other migratory people, forget their previous skills would be practically worthless within the jungle, religion is used as a motivator but no olman malcontent stood up and whined “good land here and you want to lead us over mountains into a jungle, forget it”.
3) Hellfurnances foothills theory has the most plausible feel to date, primarily the geographical features fit and the migratory waves that entered the flanaess provide a plausible reason for the olman being forcibly pushed southward into the amedio jungle. Given the limited living space of the site and the large northern mountains which would naturally encourage olman southern exploration and colonization. Unfortunately unless the agricultural and mineral resources played out, which is another reason why the olman and succeeding peoples failed to build other permanent settlements, the site would still be an exceedingly strategic and commercially valuable location for suel, oeridians, keoland, sea princes, SB or even a free city developing to take advantage of the abundance of the area and the nearby exotic goods found within the jungle. Only the severe lack of resources at the site due to over-farming or over-mining to the point of unsustainability without constant supply support would make the viability of the area undesirable when compared to a sea trade route.
4) Southwest of the Amedio Jungle theory is a well thought and does provide the geographical features needed including providing an answer to the issue of stragglers and hold-outs of the original migratory journey which gives a measure of creditability to the account. Unfortunately I am unsure of the area the theory covers to provide a detailed analysis of the lands to the south of the amedio jungle. I will have to leave that to others.
Olman Metal Working
Olman metal working has been discussed some supporting stone, bronze or iron forging ability. Personally I tend to support iron smithing skills that have decayed since the olman began residing in the jungle due to the loss of necessary ore deposits, the knowledge has been lost over time. Indeed, the very environment of the jungle would hinder the development of armour and therefore weapons, without the “need” for iron weapons and the abundance of local material to provide effective alternative weapons for the jungle environment, metal weapon crafting would quickly become a stagnant occupation. Any metal weapons would either be ancient family heirlooms or acquired through trade by outsiders more as exotic status symbols rather than seen as an overwhelming military advantage given the limited supply of weapons available due to the remoteness of harshness of the jungle terrain.
First, people will migrate to areas not similar to their own enviroment if they have no choice. This would speak against the Hellfurnaces theory, support the Hepmonaland theory, require more explanation for the Pomarj theory, and be already covered in the southwest theory.
Second, iron working is more than just weapons and armor. There are a a significant number of tools that are exceptionally more effective if made out of iron instead of wood or stone, and even if it doesn't have to cut through iron armor, and has to be oiled constantly to keep from turning into a hunk of rust, an iron sword is still superior to a wooden billet studded with obsidian shards. (Not that I'm going to volunteer to be dissected by one of those either.) Add an iron cutting edge to your plow, along with the animals to pull it of course, and you greatly expand the land you can cultivate. And converting from shaped stone tools to iron tools cuts their weight, and increases their effectiveness significantly. Sure, you can raise pyramids/ziggurats/step temples with stone age technology. Add in iron tools, and you can get to not just Greek and Roman architecture, but all the way to Medieval architecture, and beyond, none of which relied upon steel or composite age technologies.
There's a lot you can do with just rocks, but always a lot more you can do with iron. You always "need" the best you can get, no matter what you don't need to use it for.
I can readily accept the southern Olman hypothesis as the Hellfurnace foothills theory is compatible with it, just moved further south.
I definitely like advancing the Olman beyond the Stone Age, through the Bronze Age and into the Iron Age. The resources are readily available, I can imagine, in the Hellfurnaces and their foothills (if nowhere else) and the distance to the Amedio is not so far that iron implements could not be be regularly found there via inter-Olman trading. This would also support my notion of a preserved hinterland "empire" or "seat" of the Olman - the source of the iron workings - that still exists in addition to Xamaclan.
It is by some measure hyperbole but unless it is thought to make Keoland into an Oerthly Spain that conquers a "New World" in the Amedio by subjugating the Maya/Aztecs ne Olman, something must be done to break what seems a too obvious analogy.
One thought would be to "neuter" Keoland such that it is incapable or unwilling to expand its interests southward. Another thought would be to allow the Olman to resist any Keolandish expansion efforts more effectively. Or both. Both, by degrees, may be the best answer.
I mostly ignore the influence of the Scarlet Brotherhood because the advances of the SB appear entirely transitory. While they may last for a generation, the SB is simply incapable of maintaining its gains over the long term. It cannot hold what it has conquered. Native resistence is one consideration but the hostility of the entirety of the rest of the Flanaess is more considerable, particularly when the geography is considered. _________________ GVD
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