From Al-Jabidaya's "Les Histoires Des Infidels du Nord"

Translated, albeit awkwardly, from the original Franco-Arabic.

The Carthaginian heretics of the far Northern mountains and woodlands risked their very existence for several millenia. But for the grace of the one true God they had been destroyed by it! Their economy was drawn repeatedly to the brink of ruin, and their knowledge of the miracles of God's creation lagged far beyond the rest of the world. Expansion came through a mixture of settling new cities and conquering existing independent states, many of which resisted assimliation to their barbaric and pagan ways. We will cover those developments in later chapters, including the renaming of several settlements which are referred to here by their original designations. All glory to the one true faith!

Dates of early Carthaginian settlements

3283 AvIE. Carthage
537 ApIE. Parthian
607 ApIE. Hippo
947 ApIE. Kerkouane
1297 ApIE. Leptis
1322 ApIE. Sakae

Interestingly, Al-Jabidaya, usually the most fastidious of historians, omits the second and third cities of early Carthage, Utica and Hadrumetum. Exact dates of settlement are unknown, but both were established well before Parthian was conquered. The resons for these notable omissions remain unknown, although a close examination of the folios reveal a tear in the original ms. that may be the cause.

Year 3700: The City of Sand

It was a small group, designed to move quickly through the forests, a mixture of military and a core group of people needed to settle the new city: ironsmiths and priests, adventurous families and farmers, courtiers and courtesans. They had left Hadrumetum and its pleasant lakeside life months ago, following the maps provided by the scouts. At first, they were jubilant, singing songs as they moved through the trees, but over time the hardships of the voyage took over, and the reality of all they were leaving behind settled in.

The landscape grew more sober with them: the forests were thinning, more and more space appearing between the trees, and the ground slowly changed from the rich, familiar loam of home to a fine, brown dust. They had been warned that, just beyond the hill scattered with the reddish-orange dust, the desert would appear, but nothing could prepare them for the shocking reality of it, the vast expanse of nothingness, stretching southwards to the horizon. Dirt, dust, and sand and beyond that, more sand, with an occasional splotch of green dotting the landscape.

A tall woman at the front of the group suddenly threw both hands high over her head, her dagger held parallel to the ground in her left. Instantly, the other captains did the same, and the rest of the group froze as well, with all conversation ceasing. The woman turned, motioned to three other armed figures, and took off at a loping run towards a higher ridge to the East. As they neared the top, she turned to the other two.

“Did you see what I saw?”

The other two looked at each other and shook their heads.

“Maybe I was wrong. Let’s go.”

They reached the top of the ridge and, using a large boulder as cover, examined the valley below. They were well trained, and remained silent, but their eyes showed shock.

“There’s a city there! How?”

“No idea. But Queen Hannah will not be pleased.”

From "A Pocket Guide to Carthage"

Built roughly 3000 years after Carthage's fouding, The Pyramids tower over the plains to the East of the city proper. Constructed of stone overlaying an intricate lattice of ancient wood harvested from what are believed to be extensive forests that surrounded Carthage for the first two millenia of its existence, the six four-sided structures are laid out in an inverted "L." The noted early geographer, Basil Gruene (436 - 483, NCE) was the first to point out that the pyramids exactly echo, at a smaller scale, the positions of the six peaks of the Curtain Range Northeast of Utica. Why this would be so, and the original purpose of these mammoth wonders of early engineering, remains unknown.

That hasn't, however, stopped an entire industry of speculation from growing around the site, and the street hawkers on the Avenue of Wonder will be happy to invent any answer you wish to hear--for a price, of course. For the more scientifically inclined, tours of The Women's Tomb are available each day at 10:45 AM ($6 cC Adults, $2 cC Children 4 to 14): gather by the blue obelisk in the Women's Courtyard, South of the largest pyramid (reservations recommended). Tours may also be arraned on an informal basis with the locals who hang around the Memorial Square (see map). Look for the grey scarves worn by potential guides. Prices will vary, but if you negotiate well, a group of six should receive a three hour tour for under $8 cC.

The Pyramid Museum and Research Institute of Carthage (PMRIC) (10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Daily, closed National Holidays. $5 cC Adults, Children Free) remains the best source of information on the Pyramids, and a visit to their public exhibit behind the two Northern Pyramids is strongly recommended. Here, you will find historical information on the Pyramids, as well as the requisiste gift shop. Children will find hands-on activities, including a replication of the process used to age and strengthent the wood and a presentation on the forests believed to originally surround Carthage.

Mired in the mind, propelled by the soul

Despite the galvanizing effects of religious thought on the Arabs, they continued to remain confined in their small coastal city. Nature had an ongoing impact, and the beautiful open plains that their city was located within was becoming surrounded by wild jungles that brought sickness and instability to Mecca. Still, buoyed by their intellectual explorations into religion, the Arabs made research their top priority. By 3130 BCE they had learned how to efficiently cull fish, crabs and clams from the surrounding waters. By 2580 BCE they learned to build galleys, small boats that would enable movement and exploration of their surrounding waterways - when they had the courage to venture out. By 2300 they learned pottery, providing the ability to preserve food and water, build new structures, and otherwise spur expansion. But still, as if paralyzed by generations of fear - other than small teams of fishermen venturing out into the shallows outside of Mecca - the people did not use these newfangled technologies to their advantage. They contented themselves with debates on religion and experimentation with new ideas.

Around 2200 BCE the activities of the Talif family became of interest for the first time since the earliest years of Mecca. When Mecca was first founded, the Talif matriarch had a vision of a structure that would enable people to speak directly with the Gods. While initially intrigued by the sketches and rock samples gathered by the Talifs, nothing was coming of their efforts and people stopped paying attention. Even though the Talifs were instrumental in the polytheism's taking the day during the Great Religious Debates, by that time their project was completely forgotten and, even for the few who would periodically show interest, no meaningful progress seemed to be made. So it was quite a surprise when the populace learned that the Talifs had finally - after almost 2000 years - reached a point where the vision could be shared and appreciated.

The Talifs had managed to move more than a dozen enormous stones into a large clearing by the eastern edge of Mecca. Once a stretch of plains that stretched for many kilometers in to the east and south, the land was now encroached by jungles to the south. Still, it seemed impossible that the Talifs - or even hundreds or thousands of people - could have found and moved all of these massive stones to this spot. Yet there was no denying what the eyes could plainly see.

Over the next 30 years the Talif's vision became the first major national project of the Arabian Empire. Learning from the Talif's techniques and bringing the manpower of thousands of people to bear, in a relatively short period of time the Arabian Empire lifted, arranged and positioned the many assembled stones to the precise specification of Yasmine Talif, the young and charismatic leader of the Talif family. In 2170 the project was completed.

"This we shall call Stonehenge," Yasmine proclaimed. "From here the people of Right can commune directly with our many Gods who inhabit the stars, remembering Yahweh most of all. Certainly, no other peoples could be capable of speaking directly to the Gods, and with their divine guidance we will depart beyond Mecca. Arabians, we must unite, reproduce, spread and prosper. It is the will of the Gods, and it is the destiny of us all."

Yasmine Talif was taken up upon the shoulders of the government leaders and paraded through the streets of Mecca, her name reverberating off the buildings in every corner. Over time, her leadership, the fulfillment of the Talif vision and the era of greatness it presaged for the Arabian people would prove among the most important times in the entire history of the Empire. The Talif family would go on to lead or participate in the power centers of Arabian government and produce many important and capable people. The most beloved of them all was and always would be Yasmine Talif.

From "A Short History of Ancient Carthage"

The early matriarchy was, from all available evidence, a strongly controlled oligarchy, one that may be seen as brutal by today's standards. At Carthage and several other early city sites, physical evidence of mass graves has been found. Interpretations differ, but most archaeologists suspect either large-scale ritual sacrifice or the extreme and prolonged use of forced labor. Modern dating techniques reveal no steady pattern in the killings, but at least eight distinctive strata of human remains have been found, with gaps of at least two to three hundred years between. Estimates of the total buried in Carthage's mass grave alone vary widely, but even the most conservative historians estimate at least one hundred fifty thousand, with others claiming close to half a million.

It is unlikely that we ever really know what life was like in early Carthage before the widespread use of written records, as such, the mass graves remain a troubling, yet inexplicable, mystery.

The darkness and the light

Beginning in 3700 BCE a dark age swept over the Arabian Empire. With Mecca struggling to rise to prominence and the populace frightened by what happened to their initial war party, the Arabs regressed into an inwardly focused, hermit-like existence. 200 years passed with little sign of progress or inspiration. However, around 3500 BCE, people began to question the limitations of their native pagan religions. The Great Religious Debates began within the Empire between the proponents of monotheism - the belief in only one God - and polytheism - the belief in multiple Gods. For 100 years this ideological war raged until finally, in 3400 BCE, a compromise was reached. Control of the government was given to the followers of polytheism, while the Arabian Empire as a whole founded a new monotheistic religion - Judaism - and declared it the Empire's only true religion. While seemingly unlikely, this compromise actually worked and would prove to serve the Arabs for literally thousands of years. Finally, after centuries of darkness, the centering point of religion provided great light.

Year 500: The Curtains

It seemed routine: every few months another small group of scouts would return to Carthage with news of the surrounding land. The previous group would set out to meet up with the larger scouting party, and slowly, ever so slowly, what we knew of the outside world grew. It all seemed endless: deep forests and rolling hills, the salt of the sea and winding rivers finding their way to it.

And then, a party of scouts returned, wide eyed and breathless.

"We've never seen anything like it. These are bigger than any hills we've seen, and they go on and on. We can't climb them, but we've gone around them." Gestruing to the hills to the South of the settlement, the scout continued, "They have foothills like these, but from those, towering bulks of rock and snow."

The priestess listened, nodding slowly. "What did you name them?" The scout smiled. "Our oracle climbed as high as he could, and sat all night. In the morning, he returned to camp and said their name was the Six Curtains."

"So be it. We shall settle in their shadows, and protect ourselves by their mercy."

Attempting to expand

Heading to the southwest, the war party quickly discovered a small group of hills, before reaching the shore and being forced south. After being attacked by a wild pack of wolves they quickly reached a tiny mountain range that ran into the ocean, pressing them back east and then south. During this trek they met a small group of indigenous peoples whom they taught how to use a sling, receiving a bounty of gold for the service. Resuming their trip the war party reached the southern shores and turned to the east, before long seeing what appeared to be the eastern shore and suggesting what appeared a very small island. Unfortunately, they attempted to befriend another, much larger, group of natives and were ambushed by their home guard, consisting of warriors outnumbering Saladin's regulars by some five-to-one. Although they fought valiantly, to a man they were slaughtered. There would not be another attempt to explore for more than 2000 years.

The founding of Arabia

In 4000 BCE the progenitors of Saladin founded the city of Mecca on an island Somewhere in the World. They chose a spot near the northern bank, in a large field with a forest to the west, a jungle to the south and ample supplies of fish and crab in the surrounding waters. While not the most attractive or promising of spots, it appeared to have abundant food supplies from which to spawn a growing populace. From among the original settlers a small group of warriors formed a war party and began scouring the surrounding countryside. Modestly, the Arabian Empire began its path toward world domination.

Year Zero

So tired. So very tired. This will do. Lots of fish, the smell of hogs mixing with the sweet smell of myrrh. This will do.

At the rise of the full moon, the small group of nomads gathered in the valley between the the river and the surrounding hills. A woman came forward and removed a small chip of dark stone from her belt, and with her eyes closed lifted it above her head so the moonshine glowed off the jagged edge.

"Hawm," the crowd murmered in approval and assent.

The woman reached up and took one large matted dred from atop her head, and sawed at it until it came free in her hand. She then made three short cuts in her palm, letting the blood mix with the severed hair. The crowd opened, creating a passage leading to a small hole to the South. She walked slowly, blood dripping from her hand, knelt on the grass and placed the hair in the pit. Two young boys started piling the dirt atop the offering.

Turning to the crowd, she made eye contact with as many of the crowd as she could, took a deep breath, and, in a surprisingly deep voice, declared, "We are settled. Forevermore, we shall live in this valley. Welcome to Carthage, your new home."

"Hawm."