By technology, we are referring to the devices, techniques, methods used by the inhabitants of Eriu. It would be pretty exhausting (and probably boring), to point out every Eriu invention, tools etc, so we can simply say that, except for some specific things, Eriu technology similar to roman technology, except for some elements. It is also important to underline that we are talking about the predynastic period of Eriu.
Types of Power
Humanoid and Animal power
Water and Wind Power
Solar power (passive heat source)
Paper and Writing There are four different materials used in Eriu for writing, even though paper became the most common out of practicality. Parchment: made from the skin of young animals like lambs and calfs, more resistant but also pretty expensive. Papyrus: produced in Lagin thanks to the plants that grow in this region, less expensive but the surface of the sheets are uneven, and even if the material is pretty strong, if rolled and unrolled in scrolls, it can be ruined. Paper: produced by eryams in the region of Connacht, full of trees, they kept the production of this material a secret for a very long time, since it was one of the most exported material. Clay or Wax Tablets: clay tablets are mostly used by Orudels, who let them dry in the hot sun of their island Numu. Wax tablets are more commonly used by Icryses in Ulaid, writing and “erasing” with the stylus.
To write on paper, papyrus or parchment, people uses ink and pens and brushes, but also quill pens. Some of the richest people in Eriu also uses metallic ink pens.
The Eriu language changed through history, and even though the spoken version remained pretty much the same, the written one changed from a logographic writing, to an alphabet one at the end of the pre-dynastic era, making writing and reading easier for everyone, so that more people could afford learning them.
Building and Architecture The most common building materials used are brick, wood, stone and cement. As stated before, we won’t point out every instruments or type of construction, we will just point out some aspects of their engineriing:
Roads, bridges and arches
Aqueducts, dams and canals
Baths, flush toilets and general waste disposal system
Windmills
Traveling and Trasportation
Earth Traveling: Eriu has many roads built along its regions, even though in some areas are less used (like Connacht, which is basically an huge forest), other regions rely a lot on them (like Lagin) and use resting and changing stations. They move mostly through animals and charts, but, of course, also by their own feet.
Water traveling: because of the reign of terror the God of the Sea, Eriu inhabitants never developed ships for long sails, but mostly to move from shore to shore. Some cultures had to develop these techniques to not remain isolated from the central island (like Ulaid and Numu), other had to find fastest way to reach other regions to trade with them (like Lagin).
Metallurgy The metals and alloys used by the Eriu inhabitants are: copper, gold, silver, zinc, iron, bronze, mercury, antimony and tin.
They are used for many reasons, including weapons and jewelry, but also (and especially) coins, and with the use of technologies like moulds and coinage. (see “The Monetary System” in “Culture” for more infos about the coins used in Eriu).
The Eriu inhabitants exploit mineral deposits using advanced technology, like aqueducts. They use the water to prospect for ore by unleashing a wave of water from a tank to scour away the soil and so reveal the bedrock with any veins exposed to sight. They also use reverse overshot water-wheels to remove water from underground mining.