Author's Note: A Brief Explanation
Upon the Waters:
The History of Borealamerica and Beyond
Written by Alexander Helios
[1]
Author's Note: A Brief Explanation
The History of Borealamerica and Beyond
Written by Alexander Helios
Author's Note: A Brief Explanation
Welcome everyone!
Now I know what you must be thinking: another timeline about advanced natives? Wow, very original.
But before you click out of this thread, bear with me.
This idea has greatly changed over time inside my mind, and I can't quite tell you exactly how it evolved into this concept, but the first seed that eventually sprouted this timeline essentially amounted to this: "what if there were Mayan style pyramids in upstate New York?"
Since then, the premise has changed greatly as I've learned much more (one could even say I've fallen too deep into the rabbit hole) about pre-Columbian history, leading up to this point.
This timeline will explore the ramifications of a brand new agricultural package developing in the Great Lakes, starting with the domestication of wild rice. From there, we'll explore everything from cuisine to warfare, architecture to governments, trade to metallurgy, but most importantly, the people.
We will use subjects like anthropology, linguistics, history, mythology, and much more in the process of examining how society in the Americas develops in this timeline. If that sounds boring to you, don't fret! I'll include some narrative pieces, as well as in universe articles. In addition, I plan to dive into more philosophical questions from time to time, like "what really makes a culture advanced?" and "what are the causes for the fall of civilizations?" as well.
I understand this isn't a very commonly well known period of history, so I'll make sure to leave footnotes where I explain the OTL context and background for the events happening.
It's a bit ambitious, but I'm really excited to work on this project, as it's my first actual timeline (no, that cringey Aaron Burr timeline I abandoned two years ago doesn't count). If nothing at all, I hope that this thread provides a good starting off point for further timelines about pre-Columbian America.
I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to the planning thread, as it has made planning this timeline much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. I'm still open to suggestions, so if you have any ideas feel free to post them here or there and I'll see what I can do.
In addition, I want to thank the "civilization builders" on this board, whose countless posts and threads have set a great precedent, as they have shown it's possible to write a timeline on such a grand scale. I hope I can follow in those footsteps.
And last, but in no way least, I'd like to thank the Native Americans themselves. Their resilience, even when facing the worst circumstances is truly inspiring, and I hope that I can honor them and their culture in the best way possible.
So with that in mind, and updates soon to follow, let's get started!
[1] Image source: Ohio History Connection, Education Collection, Education; E 508. The painting represents an Adena society in Hocking Valley, Ohio, but for the context of TTL, I'd say that it could be an excellent representation of a small-scale ceremonial center along the Wabash River during the Middle Formative Period [1800 BCE to 1310 BCE]. And if you have no idea as to what that means, don't worry, since I'll cover all of this in the next several updates.
Now I know what you must be thinking: another timeline about advanced natives? Wow, very original.
But before you click out of this thread, bear with me.
This idea has greatly changed over time inside my mind, and I can't quite tell you exactly how it evolved into this concept, but the first seed that eventually sprouted this timeline essentially amounted to this: "what if there were Mayan style pyramids in upstate New York?"
Since then, the premise has changed greatly as I've learned much more (one could even say I've fallen too deep into the rabbit hole) about pre-Columbian history, leading up to this point.
This timeline will explore the ramifications of a brand new agricultural package developing in the Great Lakes, starting with the domestication of wild rice. From there, we'll explore everything from cuisine to warfare, architecture to governments, trade to metallurgy, but most importantly, the people.
We will use subjects like anthropology, linguistics, history, mythology, and much more in the process of examining how society in the Americas develops in this timeline. If that sounds boring to you, don't fret! I'll include some narrative pieces, as well as in universe articles. In addition, I plan to dive into more philosophical questions from time to time, like "what really makes a culture advanced?" and "what are the causes for the fall of civilizations?" as well.
I understand this isn't a very commonly well known period of history, so I'll make sure to leave footnotes where I explain the OTL context and background for the events happening.
It's a bit ambitious, but I'm really excited to work on this project, as it's my first actual timeline (no, that cringey Aaron Burr timeline I abandoned two years ago doesn't count). If nothing at all, I hope that this thread provides a good starting off point for further timelines about pre-Columbian America.
I'd like to thank everyone who contributed to the planning thread, as it has made planning this timeline much more enjoyable than it would have been otherwise. I'm still open to suggestions, so if you have any ideas feel free to post them here or there and I'll see what I can do.
In addition, I want to thank the "civilization builders" on this board, whose countless posts and threads have set a great precedent, as they have shown it's possible to write a timeline on such a grand scale. I hope I can follow in those footsteps.
And last, but in no way least, I'd like to thank the Native Americans themselves. Their resilience, even when facing the worst circumstances is truly inspiring, and I hope that I can honor them and their culture in the best way possible.
So with that in mind, and updates soon to follow, let's get started!
[1] Image source: Ohio History Connection, Education Collection, Education; E 508. The painting represents an Adena society in Hocking Valley, Ohio, but for the context of TTL, I'd say that it could be an excellent representation of a small-scale ceremonial center along the Wabash River during the Middle Formative Period [1800 BCE to 1310 BCE]. And if you have no idea as to what that means, don't worry, since I'll cover all of this in the next several updates.
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, already off to a great start!
