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Willravel · 06-11-2008, 09:05 PM

Okay, a real answer:
First off, if it's really random, odds are you'd be deposited nowhere near other people. This means survival 101. Shelter, food, water, safety. If you're lucky, someone might meet you or you might find someone when you're exploring or hunting, but really it's likely that you'll simply live out your life in a forest somewhere. And it's actually better. We'd be bringing back bacteria and viruses that didn't exist then, and that as such there were no antibodies for.

Step 1: You're probably not going to be dropped off next to a stream with cover and such, so you'd need to scout a bit and then construct a makeshift shelter near where you think it'd be most prudent. Then you have to get as much firewood as possible and try to get a fire started. If you're damned lucky, you can get a fire going before nightfall. In the morning you scrounge for food, likely bugs. If you're lucky, you won't starve. After you've gathered some food and supplies, you go off in search of a more permanent residence.

Step 2: Once you find a place close to fresh water, and that you feel won't flood, and that's on high ground, you start digging. I'm thinking maybe a 15'x15' square, maybe 2' down. With the dirt excavated, you create a barrier around the hole, and pack it down well. Be sure that the ground of the hole is solid, maybe near rock protrusions from the ground. Do not dig into a sandy loam. After this, it's time to start developing tools. Hopefully you found ways to assist in digging, you'll need those. Let's be honest, the average person can't forge an axe, so you'll need to make stone axes. This will take time. You need to locate stones made up of strong enough material to actually chop wood, which probably means a dense volcanic or igneous rock like basalt, diorite, granite, or quartzite. Good news: you're in Europe. One of the reasons Europe was able to move ahead of many other areas where humans developed was the easy access to mine-able materials. But really, most of this will be trial and error. Bring back a collection of possible axe-heads and test them on nearby trees. Did it break? Discard and move on. Is it intact? Good. Now it's time to build your cabin.

Step 3: You should spread out to get your wood. Heh. You'll need fairly strong walls and supports, which means thick wood. Heh. I would suggest chopping down a few trees for the 4 corners of the house and planning on building a shed roof (or a flat roof which is lower on one side than the other). It'd be way too difficult to try and build a gable roof your first time. Once your 4 corners are in place, you get to mud and stacking. Use logs like bricks and mud like mortar. Hopefully you can find a loam rich in clay nearby, which would make a much better wall. Once 3 walls are up, it's time for a roof. This will not be easy. You'll need to have a set of supports in place, then use bent sapling poles to tie down bark into the roof in order to make it as waterproof as possible. Be sure it's waterproof by testing every square inch. If you notice dipping, you need thicker supports. The 4th wall will be for your stove. Gather as many rocks as possible and stack them up to the height of about 2' tall. Make sure it's strong and stable. You'll want it at this height in order to make cleaning out the ashes easier. You'll then want to build two walls on each side of the area that will host the fire and cover the back with a large flat stone you can move. Again, this is for clearing out ashes. Have the smoke stack open above the ash door and facing away from your home. It's made of wood, and the last thing you need is a fire. Finish the 4th wall on each side of the fireplace and seal them with the clay loam.

Oh, and don't forget an opening as a door. You don't want to have to exit through the ash door. After this, It's simply a matter of hunting for meat, finding berries and seeds to plant nearby and to cultivate, and saving up for winter. You'll want pelts to cover yourself at night, and a decent supply of dry wood to burn.

If you're lucky enough to get this far, you're going to get bored soon. This might be a good time to explore and map the area.

06-11-2008, 09:05 PM	#112 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	Okay, a real answer: First off, if it's really random, odds are you'd be deposited nowhere near other people. This means survival 101. Shelter, food, water, safety. If you're lucky, someone might meet you or you might find someone when you're exploring or hunting, but really it's likely that you'll simply live out your life in a forest somewhere. And it's actually better. We'd be bringing back bacteria and viruses that didn't exist then, and that as such there were no antibodies for. Step 1: You're probably not going to be dropped off next to a stream with cover and such, so you'd need to scout a bit and then construct a makeshift shelter near where you think it'd be most prudent. Then you have to get as much firewood as possible and try to get a fire started. If you're damned lucky, you can get a fire going before nightfall. In the morning you scrounge for food, likely bugs. If you're lucky, you won't starve. After you've gathered some food and supplies, you go off in search of a more permanent residence. Step 2: Once you find a place close to fresh water, and that you feel won't flood, and that's on high ground, you start digging. I'm thinking maybe a 15'x15' square, maybe 2' down. With the dirt excavated, you create a barrier around the hole, and pack it down well. Be sure that the ground of the hole is solid, maybe near rock protrusions from the ground. Do not dig into a sandy loam. After this, it's time to start developing tools. Hopefully you found ways to assist in digging, you'll need those. Let's be honest, the average person can't forge an axe, so you'll need to make stone axes. This will take time. You need to locate stones made up of strong enough material to actually chop wood, which probably means a dense volcanic or igneous rock like basalt, diorite, granite, or quartzite. Good news: you're in Europe. One of the reasons Europe was able to move ahead of many other areas where humans developed was the easy access to mine-able materials. But really, most of this will be trial and error. Bring back a collection of possible axe-heads and test them on nearby trees. Did it break? Discard and move on. Is it intact? Good. Now it's time to build your cabin. Step 3: You should spread out to get your wood. Heh. You'll need fairly strong walls and supports, which means thick wood. Heh. I would suggest chopping down a few trees for the 4 corners of the house and planning on building a shed roof (or a flat roof which is lower on one side than the other). It'd be way too difficult to try and build a gable roof your first time. Once your 4 corners are in place, you get to mud and stacking. Use logs like bricks and mud like mortar. Hopefully you can find a loam rich in clay nearby, which would make a much better wall. Once 3 walls are up, it's time for a roof. This will not be easy. You'll need to have a set of supports in place, then use bent sapling poles to tie down bark into the roof in order to make it as waterproof as possible. Be sure it's waterproof by testing every square inch. If you notice dipping, you need thicker supports. The 4th wall will be for your stove. Gather as many rocks as possible and stack them up to the height of about 2' tall. Make sure it's strong and stable. You'll want it at this height in order to make cleaning out the ashes easier. You'll then want to build two walls on each side of the area that will host the fire and cover the back with a large flat stone you can move. Again, this is for clearing out ashes. Have the smoke stack open above the ash door and facing away from your home. It's made of wood, and the last thing you need is a fire. Finish the 4th wall on each side of the fireplace and seal them with the clay loam. Oh, and don't forget an opening as a door. You don't want to have to exit through the ash door. After this, It's simply a matter of hunting for meat, finding berries and seeds to plant nearby and to cultivate, and saving up for winter. You'll want pelts to cover yourself at night, and a decent supply of dry wood to burn. If you're lucky enough to get this far, you're going to get bored soon. This might be a good time to explore and map the area.