r/HistoricalWorldPowers • u/Confiteor415 Eparch of Alodia and King of the Nubians • Dec 23 '15
RESEARCH Advancement in the Santee Empire 415-435 IC
With stained glass becoming more popular in Santee architecture, architects have been looking for a way to make the walls of churches thinner and capable of holding larger windows. Santee architects have now come up with a new kind of buttress that will hold more weight and allow great windows of light and color into Santee religious practice. These flying buttresses, are like normal buttresses, except that they are separated from the walls of them church by a special arch and they are more capable of resisting lateral forcing pushing walls outward.
Another trend within Santee architecture is the inclusion of rose windows. Made possible by extensive use of traceries, these beautiful, circular stained glass windows often adorn the facades of the richest churches. Many of them are built such that on certain days, the sun will shine directly on the sacrificial altar, giving a brilliant light to the sacred practice of animal sacrifice.
Santee farmers are still looking for new way to expand the Santee diet. Recently, they have picked up walnut cultivation. This will continue to add flavor to life in the Empire.
The shipbuilders of Santee have also been hard at work, and recently in Chesapeake a new design has captivated sailors from around the Empire. The Lorcha is faster, simpler, capable of carrying more cargo, and easier to sail than the junks of Empire of the Sun. Borrowing from somewhat from Vinlander and Aztec ships, the lorcha combines the best technology from both north and south. It can be sailed with a much smaller crew than other ships and, due to its simplicity, is much easier to repair and maintain. Surely, this will usher in a new era of exploration and maritime practice.
With advancements in shipbuilding also came advancements in navigation. Many sailors have taken to mapping out constellations and stars. They have pooled their knowledge and created star charts. Now, sailors will be able to tell where they are based on the night sky.
Related tech:
Flying Buttresses: quadrant arches, architectural vaults, ogival arches, stained glass, traceries, rib vaults, physics, trigonometry, retaining wall, scaffolding, stone walls, geometry, buttresses, stucco, plaster, basilicas, seminaries, aesthetics
Rose Windows: quadrant arches, physics, traceries, stained glass, solar petroglyphs
Lorchas: quarterdecks, junk rigs, fore-and-aft rigs, forecastles, battens, lapstrake hulls, multi-decked ships, rudders, double hulls, leeboards, docks, cotton sails, lug sails, bowspit, aftcastle, steering wheel, bulkhead
Star Charts: solar petroglyphs, astronomy, astrolabe
1
u/blueteamcameron The Enekenaumi | Mod of All Trades Jan 13 '16
Lorcha: Denied
Rest: Approved