Swords and "urbanization"

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Nonoy Tan

Hi Ariel,

You may find the book/film entitled "Guns, Germs and Steel" (by Jared Diamond) interesting as well. It discusses the issue you had raised, and pretty much consistent with G. McCormack's comments. I am also of the same opinion. Beware though that Diamond's conclusions (in the book/film) as to the fate of peoples or societies are rather over simplistic.

By the way, the "moro" peoples are far from being "uncivilized/unsophisticated/undeveloped". Their societies and art were pretty much developed. Indeed, they "blacksmiths" produced metal weapons that are works of art.

There are some nomadic peoples that are able to produce artful blades. They normally do not mine or "blacksmith" metal. Instead, they acquire metal from "more developed" neighbors (in the form of copper pots, vehicle metal parts, etc.), and then work the metal (e.g. by chiseling) into the desired blade shape/ornamentation.

On the contrary, I do not in any way, shape of form would call Moro " uncivilized" or " un-anything". Their production of highly sophisticated arms despite pretty basic conditions is the exact point of my argument! If they could do it, I see no reason why we deny the same ability to the Central Asian nomads. Do we really believe that all those Dzhungarians, Kashgars, Kumans, Polovtsi, Turcoman Mongols etc, etc imported their swords from China? How did they managed to demolish the super-urbanized China and super-duper-civilized Iranian Empire if they could not maintain a steady-state military-industrial complex?