yeah, but..

in the 1970's, PBS did a show with (Dr) Jacob Brownowski, The Assent of Man. the nomadic life style was explored.

the "simple opulences" of the lifestyle, are not the products of nomadic people. Nomads lives are driven by cycles of nature, they must follow the herds, and put the herds need first, the relationship is almost sybiotic.

they do not have time for the skills that support their lifestyle. something as simple as weaving and woven cloth requires some time, and some leasure. culture is by product of a settle life style.

the great feilds of wheat allowed humankind to stop the endless trailing after animals. they had time to spare, and they created decorative things. nuggets of copper could be made into earings, (and traded to the nomads, how had no time to collect, and smelt and hammer copper into decorative forms.) copper pans might dent, but they last much longer than baskets (that can be woven while riding a camel) but nomads would never have the leasrue time to learn how to make them for themselves, not could they afford to remain working a copper seam long enough to collect enough ore to make a potfor themselves.

Nomadic life is a hard life. its easier today when there are many more goods to barter for, but who dug the well? and who wove the silk? and who fired the porcelein?
no loom is required to felt.. just water and effort.. and its possible to add to a felted cloth..

but fine silk? it needs cultivated trees, and spinners, and dyers, and weavers.

the nomadic life still exist in part of the world, but it is sustained by settled people.

there lifestyle is not inferior, but nor should we idealize it. no doubt these traders has knives, (made of good steel) and brass hardware for the saddle and bridles.
these advances came at a cost.. the cost of settle lifestyle.



my other obsession