Yewad Culture



The Yewad culture was a complex culture arising on the coastal areas of Region B in the Early Bronze Age.

Known Cities

 * Yewa
 * Pahairo
 * Sarket

Material Culture
Yewad material culture is extremely rich in colour. Carnelian is a ubiquitous semi-precious gem, as is white quartz, but joining this is also serpentine as both a building material and a semi-precious gem, Porphyry as an incredibly expensive building material, obsidian, onyx imported from the east, slate exported by the Sabwaid culture, and the vivid Ochres sourced from the 'Painted Valley'. Both gold and silver are highly prestigious, but silver is the more expensive due to being imported at much greater distances. Yewad material culture also prizes the foreign- elements from other urban cultures in particular are considered a major mark of elite status, and local variants copying parts of Tavanaric, Sabwaid, and Marisuna material culture are common among the upwardly mobile. Artistic expression is frequently vivid and on a large scale; in addition to more 'traditional' monumental building, extremely large painted friezes are common to public art. Even ordinary houses, which are frequently stone, are often gaudily painted in various shades. Yewad material culture often glorifies in portraying the landscape and the human form, but somewhat abstract and expressive forms are common as well. Bronze technology exists here and bronze tools in particular are often highly sophisticated. Writing too has been imported from the Tavanarid culture, though distinct enough to be named separately as Circular A. Onyx is sometimes used as a rather expensive material for pottery as a replacement for ceramics. Shipbuilding is also developed here much as with the Qalar culture, though their forms are not identical and the two shipbuilding traditions are separate. Cities are often quite planned in their layout, emphasising open spaces. They are usually centred on one or more beautified squares.

Society
Colour here usually equates to prestige. It is convenient shorthand for the diversity of your possessions and your ability to afford many costly imports. The Yewad societies therefore come across as extremely gaudy, especially to other cultures. Trade is extremely important to society here, and is the foundation of much of the society's affluence in combination with agricultural wealth. Deities are often associated with particular colours, and colours are frequent epithets of those deities as well. Deities relating to craftsmen and the sea are both incredibly important, with worship being as bombastic and as loud as you would imagine given Yewad tendencies elsewhere. Blue is a colour associated with royalty given the difficulty of acquiring it. Warfare is generally a bombastic affair as well, involving loud displays involving the prized conch. Only the most potent rulers can import the extremely expensive saffron to dye their war banners yellow. Generally speaking the armoured bowman is the most favoured element of warfare here, but spearmen with no armour covered in war paint are not uncommon either. Agriculture and plants are valued strongly, both for the produce in itself and also the wild natural dyes that grow in the region.

Diet
Generally speaking the Yewad societies have much the same diet as the Tavanaric culture to the west; barley, chickpeas, flax, fava beans, rosy potato, yams, and pears. However, imports from the West are much rarer when it comes to food, and instead the Yewad turns to the east for its exotic imports; saffron is an incredibly rare and luxurious spice imported from the east, and other foods imported from the east include wheats, citrons, hazelnuts, and occasionally rice. Food is arranged with equal regard for attractive, colourful appearance as much as for taste.