So I just finished reading the Fabric of Civilization by Virginia Postrel, which is like a broad survey of textiles from the dawn of time to the present. I found it quite well written and an interesting exploration of core technologies that are often overlooked and kind of given short shrift in the broad sweep of world history. Among other things it reframes the Stone Age as the String Age (putting the focus on how the arrowheads and axe heads where affixed), elevates the invention of the spindle as being roughly on par with that of the wheel/axel (and in fact basically the same invention), and does a big deep dive on the subject from several different angles. Some things I'd read and heard about before in different contexts but stitched together in a way that really highlighted how significant textiles were to just about everything that's ever happened in Civilization. Also how we have been so spoiled by the ubiquitousness of cheap thread in the last two centuries that we no longer realize just how important and all consuming this stuff used to be. How until modern times the need for thread was so constant and so pressing, that spinning was not like some quaint domestic activity but really the beating heart of industry and commerce across all classes for most of our history. One tidbit she dropped off the cuff which I enjoyed: the fact that the Sails of ancient naval vessels were more valuable and labor intensive to produce than the ships themselves. After reading that book, I now get the impression that something like a greatcoat or clutch pair of pantaloons just puts a suit of full platemail to shame as a feat of technology and in terms of what was actually required to produce it. Or like why a toga was such a status symbol for the Romans. I think D&D could maybe do something fun with that idea. Like we always take it for granted in these games that a suit of leather or chainmail is inherently more valuable and coveted than a well dyed outfit made of cloth. But maybe it shouldn't be? And maybe we should definitely have a tailor somewhere in the game! hehe
Last edited by Black_Elk; 26/01/22 08:54 PM.
