Real World Social/ Political History Thread? (One for the Worldbuilders)

[Hairb]

I've only been a member of these forums for a short while, yet I've managed to make use a large number of the resources here already. One of my most positive experiences thus far has been the real world weapons Q&A thread here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18302) which may in fact be the ultimate worldbuilder's resource... quick, reasoned, easy to understand responses and, most importantly, no arguments over whether a ninja could beat a samurai.

Now, for those going for high-grade, intense historical verisimilitude, knowing your dirks from your misericordes is an important start, but it just ain't enough. How does a feudal economy work? What's a realistic size for a peasant village? Why the fuss about spice? How did taxation work in medieval societies? What was a luxury during the Renaissance, and what hadn't been invented yet? What on earth is a satrap? How do cultures without horses get by? How do cultures without metalworking do anything?*

I propose a thread to answer these questions as they emerge, for the benefit of players and DMs in campaigns where historical accuracy is an issue. The thread would be run on the same principals as its real world weapons and armour counterpart. Any thoughts?
-Hairb

*Surprisingly well, in some cases.

[Quincunx]

Try running a Google search for "economy", restricted to these forums. There have been several multi-page threads in d20/General RPG section.

[NerfTW]

How does a feudal economy work? What's a realistic size for a peasant village? Why the fuss about spice? How did taxation work in medieval societies? What was a luxury during the Renaissance, and what hadn't been invented yet? What on earth is a satrap? How do cultures without horses get by? How do cultures without metalworking do anything?*


There's this whole World Wide Web with the answers you seek.

For the last two questions, the answers are bovines, goats, and no trade routes, and the stone age.