# Movies, books, shows set in during the Stone or Iron Age



## tecnowraith (Aug 9, 2006)

I have an odd question, does anyone know which movies, games, novels or shows are set between either the Bronze Age (actually before the this age) or Neolithic/stone age?


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## DungeonmasterCal (Aug 9, 2006)

never mind..I deleted my post as I reread your question and my answer didn't fit.

Carry on.


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## Sir Brennen (Aug 9, 2006)

In descending order of seriousness:

_Quest for Fire_
_Clan of the Cave Bear_
_One Million Years B.C_


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## Huw (Aug 9, 2006)

_Scorpion King_ is technically bronze age, but given the amount of anachronisms is probably not what you're looking for.

Numerous Italian sword and sandals flicks, including _Iron Master_ and _Conquest_. Be warned - they're very bad.

As for stories, you can't go wrong with the Illiad and the Odyssey.


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## tecnowraith (Aug 9, 2006)

Ok what about before the Bronze Age? I am trying to stay away from the Greek/Roman mythologies. Trying to find which age is when metal just started to become widely used.


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## Ed_Laprade (Aug 9, 2006)

tecnowraith said:
			
		

> Ok what about before the Bronze Age? I am trying to stay away from the Greek/Roman mythologies. Trying to find which age is when metal just started to become widely used.




That's an entirely different question. I'm not even sure that anyone knows. (There certainly isn't any Intermediate Age between the two.) Where is well enough known, in general, but when? I've never seen it mentioned, although there must be some ideas. (But getting the scientists to agree on that...)


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## trancejeremy (Aug 9, 2006)

Ringo Starr's "_Caveman"_ is the definitive Stone Age movie


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## Huw (Aug 9, 2006)

Thought of another one. First story of the original _Doctor Who_ "An Unearthly Child". See the wikipedia synopsis here.


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## Sir Brennen (Aug 9, 2006)

Harry Harrison's _Eden_ series, in which the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs never hit, and an intelligent species evolved. Humans also exist, and the ice age pushes the two races into conflict.

The editorial blurb on Amazon describes the humans as have techology of the americas "pre-columbus".


The _Earth Children_ book series by Jean M. Auel (the movie _Clan of the Cavebear _ was based on the first book) is Ice Age humanity, and has a more realistic tone.

Game Material: _GURPS Ice Age_ - good as a source book for any game. Also, _GURPS Low Tech_ has technology detailed from Stone Age to Blackpowder.

For d20, _From Stone to Steel_ has a few chapters devoted to Stone Age stuff and later, with pretty good historical notes.


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## Sir Brennen (Aug 9, 2006)

Ed_Laprade said:
			
		

> That's an entirely different question. I'm not even sure that anyone knows. (There certainly isn't any Intermediate Age between the two.) Where is well enough known, in general, but when? I've never seen it mentioned, although there must be some ideas. (But getting the scientists to agree on that...)



Plus, I don't think metal was "widely used" during what was referred to as the Bronze Age - it was a technological marker which occurred at different points in history for different cultures.

Do a quick search on Wikipedia for an overview of when different areas of humanity entered the different "metal" ages


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## Mistwell (Aug 9, 2006)

Gilgamesh!

I even have an old 1e module set in a Gilgamesh adventure...somwhere.


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## tecnowraith (Aug 9, 2006)

What about Frank Frazetta and Ralph Bakshi's Fire and Ice?


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## Mark (Aug 10, 2006)

Sir Brennen said:
			
		

> _Clan of the Cave Bear_





Jean M. Auel has five novels set in prehistory in her Earth's Children series.  It is an "epic of life 35,000 years ago when two kinds of human beings, Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon, shared the Earth. It follows the story of Ayla (a Cro-Magnon), who is adopted by a group of Neanderthals."  These meaty tomes are rich in descriptive passages of imagined ice age life.  Auel is often praised for the depth of her research of the period and her gripping storytelling-ability.

1. The Clan of the Cave Bear (1980)

2. The Valley of Horses (1982)

3. The Mammoth Hunters (1985)

4. The Plains of Passage (1990)

5. The Shelters of Stone (2002)

Most can be found in used bookstores in paperback.


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## Huw (Aug 10, 2006)

Mistwell said:
			
		

> Gilgamesh!
> 
> I even have an old 1e module set in a Gilgamesh adventure...somwhere.




RoleAids _Wizards_?

I ran that. It worked out very well.


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## sniffles (Aug 10, 2006)

Matthew Woodring Stover's novels _Iron Dawn_ and _Jericho Moon_ are set in the late Bronze Age/ early Iron Age, just after the Trojan war. 

Somebody has an RPG setting for the Bronze Age in the ENworld store - I remember critiquing his cover art several months ago. But I don't recall the name of the product.

Oh, and this doesn't quite fit your criteria, but there's a graphic novel series set during the Trojan War. It's _Age of Bronze_, by Eric Shanower.


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## Mistwell (Aug 10, 2006)

Huw said:
			
		

> RoleAids _Wizards_?
> 
> I ran that. It worked out very well.




Yeah, I think that is it.  It's listed as including:



> Lythande of the Thieves` World by Marion Zimmer Bradley
> Aahz and Skeeve from the Myth series by Robert Lynn Aspirin.
> S. Carolinus from The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson
> Shadowjack from Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny
> ...




I think I bought it for the Robert Aspirin stuff and ended up liking just about everything in the book.


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## Huw (Aug 10, 2006)

Mistwell said:
			
		

> Yeah, I think that is it.  It's listed as including:




That's definitely the one.


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## WmRAllen67 (Aug 11, 2006)

Stirling's _Island in the Sea of Time _ and its sequels transport the Island of Nantucket back to the European Bronze Age era, and has some interesting takes on the various cultures there...

Turtledove, & al, compiled some short stories of Bronze Age heroes (_The First Heroes_)...

There was an article long ago in Dragon Magazine about adventuring in the Stone Age, and some articles with Age of Mammals prehistoric beasts, though they'll all be 1st or 2nd edition rules...

That's all that comes to mind right off that hasn't been mentioned yet...


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## DreadPirateMurphy (Aug 13, 2006)

How about _The Ten Commandments_?

I have to agree that _The Clan of the Cave Bear_ series is probably the best reference for the time period in question -- at least in terms of an approximation.


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## tecnowraith (Aug 13, 2006)

Any before the Egyptian (Cleopatra or Tut)/Roman/Greek discoveries?


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## Silver Moon (Aug 14, 2006)

How about the 1966 television show "It's About Time".   It was by Sherwood Schwartz, so how could you go wrong!    Imogene Coco and Joe E. Ross (Car 54) as cavepeople!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059997/


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## tecnowraith (Aug 14, 2006)

I would like thank for the assist/help with list. It was hard trying figure out the list.


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## Richards (Aug 14, 2006)

Then there's always the novel _Time Slave_ by John Norman (he of _Gor_ fame), concerning a young woman who is sent back in time (against her will) some 50,000 years or so.  However, I really can't recommend it, as it's his typical "women are nothing but chattel and will only be truly happy once they realize it and devote themselves to keeping their men happy" fare.

But it _does_ fit your criteria.

Johnathan


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## Mistwell (Aug 14, 2006)

tecnowraith said:
			
		

> I would like thank for the assist/help with list. It was hard trying figure out the list.




If you could shed some more light on the purpose of the list, it might be helpful.  Is this for a D&D game you plan on running, or research, or personal interest, or just a hobby, or what?


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## Ed_Laprade (Aug 14, 2006)

Ah yes, _It's About Time,_ that was going to be my response before you redid the question. On a more serious note, I'll add my recomendation to Jean Auel's _Earth's Children_ series (Clan of the Cave Bear, etc.). Despite some wonky stuff with the Neandertals it's about as good as you'll find anywhere for cavemen info. And it's entertaining, too!


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## WmRAllen67 (Aug 16, 2006)

It may not be exactly what you're looking for, but selected chapters of Stephen Baxter's _Evolution _ might work too...


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