SC - Is Arrowroot Period?

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/3/00 7:06:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
CBlackwill at aol.com writes:

<< If we are to recreate only Western European 
 culture, then why are there so many Russian and Middle Eastern personae in 
 the SCA?  >>

I don't know about Russians but Andalus (e.g., Spain was the most western of 
European cultures. Outside of that European culture as it existed within the 
time frame of the SCA would not have existed without the Middle East. A 
direct result of that influence is the use of almond milk in recipes and the 
wise use and availability of spices. There are literally hundreds of 
archeological sites throughout Britain and many northern countries which have 
offered up Arabic coinage from the earth. 

In a nut shell, the culture, science, textiles, architecture, etc. of the 
barbarous northerners would not have been possible without the influence of 
civilizing influences of the followers of al-Islam. :-)

BTW, as an added note, Japanese traders and emissaries were actually living 
in Venice during a part of the period.

Ras