Dark Ages Treasure Hoard Found

[Jaron]

Jewish greed + Viking savagery would make a fiercesome opponent.

Our kosher mead hall will need an entertainer. 

Then teach Carl how to tap dance.

[Queequeg]

Depends on what that metalurgy is for, doesn't it?

Pretty well every human culture produces beautiful jewelry. Gold, which is ductile and easy to work in other ways, is frequently used for this. Ergo, gold-work is a poor indicator of "civilization".

You said goldwork, I said metal working in general, armor specifically.  The barbarian 'steppe' societies produced a type of warrior that would eventually make the legionary and phalangist totally obsolete, and was widely copied by all settled societies.   

Again, in your opinion there is no difference between the technology and life-ways of a Roman and an Australian Aborigine in terms of "progress"?

Once again, you are twisting my argument.  New Stone Age-Copper Age-Bronze Age-Iron Age are all periods of material improvement, but again I don't think it is fair to call it all "progress" as in every single case the period from material age to age was caused by invasion of barbarian peoples, usually from the Steppe. 

I also beg to differ that the Roman era was not an advance over what came before, that the Renaissance era was not an advance over the Roman, etc.

This is the difference between Milan and Barcelona, not the difference between modern Mumbai and the Bactria-Margiana Archaeological Complex.  You are seriously overestimating the difference; during the Roman period, the Germanic peoples adopted Celtic and Roman agricultural techniques and ironworking, and by the time of the collapse of the West the line between degenerated Roman and Barbarian was very blurry, as much due to the rise of the Barbarians as anything else. 

I suspect this is so much romantic mythology. The life of a pastoral nomad is every bit as nasty, brutish and short as any farmer. What makes the lifestyle attractive is comparative freedom, not material prosperity.   

I said that the average living Mongol presumably of an advanced age would be in better health than a farmer, partially because a lot more Mongols died violently.  Less people on a given period of land without modern improvements in agriculture means more calories a person. 

Even Marius never personally murdered his own brother over a fish. Temujin (the future Ghenghis Khan) did, ironocally enough for your thesis, while his entire family was busy starving to death. Unfortunately for the world, Temujin lived.

This probably wouldn't have been totally unheard of among the lowest Plebes, though granted this is particularly pathetic. 

[jimmy olsen]

Valued at $5.5 million.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34166439/ns/technology_and_science/

[Jaron]

Bullshit Psellus. Quit trying to glorify steppe nomads. Right place, right time. Nothing more than that.

[Mr.Penguin]

Jewish greed + Viking savagery would make a fiercesome opponent.

Our kosher mead hall will need an entertainer. 

Vikings with out pork??, you are mad!...

[Malthus]

Jewish greed + Viking savagery would make a fiercesome opponent.

Our kosher mead hall will need an entertainer. 

Vikings with out pork??, you are mad!...

Shhh! It's not pork. It's "dwarf beef". 

[Malthus]

Valued at $5.5 million.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34166439/ns/technology_and_science/

Sweet.

[Ed Anger]

Monty haul campaign. 

[Jaron]

Valued at $5.5 million.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34166439/ns/technology_and_science/

Sweet.

N' Sour.....