I’m the consortium’s archaeologist, researcher, and magpie. I have a love of shiny things, especially when they are ancient shiny things. In recent weeks we’ve been working on a new sourcebook and I’ve been having a little too much fun. Thankfully, Berra is always around to drag me out of the rabbit holes I tumble into.
I love that Glorantha is a Bronze Age culture for so many reasons. First and foremost, I love that it’s a period outside of my expertise, so that everything I research for Beer With Teeth is a chance for me to learn something new. Glorantha is a fantasy world, which means that I can draw inspiration from the archaeology, but my imagination gets to fill in the gaps. But I also love it because the material culture is wonderfully diverse and rich. I’m careful to stick to cultures that are long gone, rather than appropriating from those that have living descendant communities and histories of abuse by colonial powers. Conveniently, there’s a lot to choose from.
Bronze ring, from the Tumulus culture of the Middle Bronze Age. The City of Prague Museum. Zde.
Description: A bronze ring with two spirals, from the Tumulus culture of the Middle Bronze Age. Image source.