KingStannisFan Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I know it wouldn't be the same story, but there's at least 12,000 years of "civilization" and it seems technology doesn't advance much at all? People must be really stupid in this world. In the Fable games it advances. For instance Fable III takes place in an industrial age setting despite being a fairytale. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theDragonsDance Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Well in real life humans have been around for 200,000 years, depending on what you believe, and only a few thousand years ago we invented writing, something that seems incredibly basic to us these days. It took us 196,000 years to invent writing, give or take, and the people of the ASOIAF world 12,000 to invent writing, medicine, astronomy, architecture, mathematics, and a whole lot more. If they're stupid what does that make us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fire Eater Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 January 21, 2000 TECHNOLOGY IN WESTEROS There is an aspect of a SOI&F (and all high/medieval fanatasy) which has me puzzled. Why is there so little technological procees? The Starks have been medieval lords and kings for millenia, and it seems that there is very little chance of Westeros ever progessing beyond a medieval society. Is this becuase the existence of magic inhibits or precludes linear technological progress? Oh, I wouldn't go that far. I don't know that "linear technological progress" is necessarily inevitable in a society. In fact, if you look at our real world, it only happened once. Other cultures and societies existed for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years without ever experiencing major technological change. In the specific case of Westeros, the unpredictable nature of the seasonal changes and the harshness of the winters must play a role. I do think that magic perhaps makes development of the scientific method less likely. If men can fly by means of a spell, do you ever get the Wright Brothers? Or even daVinci? An interesting question, and I'm not sure I know the answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triceratops Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Loras actually found a spaceship on Dragonstone. That's what they've been covering up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slant Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 agree with op. was wondering along the same lines. since the dawn age, there has been no progress. They made some dragon magic stuff, but it's been the middle ages forever. More over, the maesters seem to know of concepts well beyond their time. In the world book, there are many scientific concepts mentioned that could be used for making better technology or could only be learnt in a world with better technology. This could be a part of the world the "maesters are building" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PodrickMayne Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 I've often thought there was a higher technology in Valyria and that led to the Doom nothing is known there of what exactly happened hardly anyone can work with their steel etc I mean sure it could have been just a bunch of jerks aying with wildfire or dragons going off. But I would bet they were technolically advanced and some tragedy occurred of course that's just my opinion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Ravenstark Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 There are mentions of architectural advancement, development of siege weapons, use of different metals, medicine, that in a certain previous time there was not… yes, the Known World advances veeeeeery slowly, but they do advance technologically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slant Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 there are remains of more advanced civilisations all around seastone chair, mazes valyrian ruins are perhaps the most recent seeing events at distances, or long distance communication is a part of "higher mysteries" to the maesters we have seen skinchangers, direwolves, giants, the others or their servants, cotf... all these some of the maesters say don't exist there are books, but people don't read, and almost think of reading as magic The Pearl Palace in the Summer Isles hoards maps and does not share it with anyone. maybe technology and magic is the same thing to the maesters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sciteacher Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 I know it wouldn't be the same story, but there's at least 12,000 years of "civilization" and it seems technology doesn't advance much at all? People must be really stupid in this world. In the Fable games it advances. For instance Fable III takes place in an industrial age setting despite being a fairytale. On the other hand, in the real world, 12,000 years ago we were just getting around to domesticating the goat. It would be a couple of hundred years until anyone started planting grains and writing wasn't in use until the Bronze Age, 5,000 years ago. Most of our technological advances have been made only in the last 500 years. Technology just blossomed starting about the 1500s--the plow, new architecture methods, new tools for astronomy and medicine (telescope, compound microscope), the pencil, new types of looms and spinning equipment, and many more items transformed culture and society quite rapidly. The folks on Planetos just haven't had their late middle ages boom yet, I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon89 Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 there are remains of more advanced civilisations all around seastone chair, mazes valyrian ruins are perhaps the most recent seeing events at distances, or long distance communication is a part of "higher mysteries" to the maesters we have seen skinchangers, direwolves, giants, the others or their servants, cotf... all these some of the maesters say don't exist there are books, but people don't read, and almost think of reading as magic The Pearl Palace in the Summer Isles hoards maps and does not share it with anyone. maybe technology and magic is the same thing to the maesters Remember GRRMs inspirations besides Tolkein's style of high fantasy and it will come into focus. Those are Lovecraft's style of ancient alien horrors and Howard's sword and sorcery fantasy. The legends of maze builders, beings that come out of the sea to attack people in ancient times, the people with webbing between fingers, etc. are material that connects to Lovecraftian horror. The legends and history of places like Asshai, Yin Ti, Gris, etc., the Dothraki, the Freecities, skinchangers (though they also have some inspiration from high fantasy) and incredible power of relics, all draw inspiration from Howard's works (specifically Conan). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meera of Tarth Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Technology won't develop more until the different continents get in touch. If we are to compare "Planetos" (I think it is called this way in the forum) with our Earth, then we could assume that Westeros lacks the mathematical/magic knowledge of the" scientists" from Essos, because they have been able to raise several pyramidal structures, whereas in Westeros they can only build castles in high mountains or The Wall, but they had giants! Who knows if people from Asshai, Yi Ti or even other unexplored areas they don't even know yet, are more technologically developed? I know this is a different story but I recall the situation in Europe in the beginnings of the last millennium, while China already had gunpowder missiles, compass, watertight ships, modern printing, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrek_Mallister Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 The premise of the OP just isn't right. There's plenty of mention of new technology and culture arising throughout the series. And the people who lived in the Dawn Age were not feudal lords -- we've seen that Westeros has become increasingly consolidated over several thousand years. The original First Men were likely just hunter-gatherer groups, and we know they eventually became petty kings that used bronze weapons. The situation described reminds me more of Gilgamesh's time period than medieval times. And the gap between then and now is likely several thousand years, like the gap between Gilgamesh's time and medieval times. What's unbelievable about the aSoIaF timeline is that families are rumored to have existed in unbroken lines for thousands of years, and even to have held house rivalries for as long. My guess is that those chronologies are mythical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ser Arthur Hightower Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 Well in real life humans have been around for 200,000 years, depending on what you believe, and only a few thousand years ago we invented writing, something that seems incredibly basic to us these days. It took us 196,000 years to invent writing, give or take, and the people of the ASOIAF world 12,000 to invent writing, medicine, astronomy, architecture, mathematics, and a whole lot more. If they're stupid what does that make us. The most important part of that was the thousands of years of slow progress making agriculture a bit more viable, writing and other technological advancement cannot come before that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slant Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 the black gate. It is voice activated and password protected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bright Blue Eyes Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 What's unbelievable about the aSoIaF timeline is that families are rumored to have existed in unbroken lines for thousands of years, and even to have held house rivalries for as long. My guess is that those chronologies are mythical. Deinitely. That's something incredibly common. The hittites for example made up a 200,000 years chronology. Roman families went back to Troy and the (greek) gods. European royalty went back towards biblical ancestors. All of it made up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuncle Karstark Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Eh? Does anyone actually believe the timeline is accurate? I tend to think the First Men landed 6,000 Years ago, the long night 4,000, Valyria 3,000, the Andals 2,000, etc.It makes a hell of a lot more sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bright Blue Eyes Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Far too many. And even more seem incapable of perceiving the difference between Stone Age and early Renaissance as technological advancement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trigger Warning Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 the black gate. It is voice activated and password protected. I will never read that passage the same again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nuncle Karstark Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 Far too many. And even more seem incapable of perceiving the difference between Stone Age and early Renaissance as technological advancement.Indeed.We see their castle building skills, weaponry, metal working, medicine, armor crafting, and no doubt many other things, improve slowly.It's really not that much of a stretch (And no doubt the seasons and magic play a part) once you fix the timelines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigpiginsunspear Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 You assume they have similar resources that we do. It's a different world. Science as we know it may follow different rules on Planetos. Also the Long Night definitely undone any progress... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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