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there have been alot of stories about zombie apocalypses in fairly modern times over the years do you think people from ancients ages to the middles have a better chance of surviving since they dont depend on technology & are more warlike?

Nope, lack of firearms for headshots, lack of modern medicines and cars for traversing open ground.

How can they harvest meagre crops when zombies infest the fields?

They might be more excepting of undead walking the land based on cultures that are more superstitious / less science driven. If demons or the devil is a much bigger part of why things happen, zombies might be more readily excepted and fought off.

I would think that they had a better chance. More used to living off the land, more hardy in general, larger number of fortified settlements, etc.

Not to mention that there are far less people in the middle ages, which means far fewer zombies and so smaller swarms.

Yes, they would lack the knowledge of guns, medicine, etc, but they would soon learn that a blow to the head is a killing strike.

The flip side of not having guns means no running out of ammo. A lack of modern homes and buildings would cut down on all those zombies that always seem to be behind closed doors and in tight rooms.

Osprey (yes, that serious Military source book company) has published a nice book on zombies called "Zombies - a hunters guide", which talks about why massive zombie outbreaks didn't really happen back in the day, mainly due to Necromancers not being able to break the holy bonds of Christian and Muslim cemeteries. It wasn't until Europe diversified its religion and those wacky nazis got the Spear of Destiny that they could raise dead from Christian burial grounds.

Ah, now it all makes sense. Heh.

Of course, the real threat to ancient folks was dragons, manticores, chimerae, hydras, werewolves, changelings, fae, vampires, demons, goblins, trolls, ogres and syphilis.

Who had time to worry about zombies...?

I love that syphilis came up on that list. Silly half eaten common folk and their zombie spread STDs.

That trope is called "Murder, arson and jaywalking" btw.

SilverMK2 wrote:I would think that they had a better chance. More used to living off the land, more hardy in general, larger number of fortified settlements, etc.

Not to mention that there are far less people in the middle ages, which means far fewer zombies and so smaller swarms.

Yes, they would lack the knowledge of guns, medicine, etc, but they would soon learn that a blow to the head is a killing strike.

Ancient times and Middle Ages they were already used to fighting off raiders, other nations, etc. etc. They'd do much better I'd think.
1. Everything is much more defensible. Most towns had walls and fortifications.
2. Unlike today's wussies access to weaponry including simple but effective farm implements was plentiful.
3. Settlements were more spread out with limited transportation. Virus type zombies would have a much harder time spreading. Less dead for dead type zombies.
4. Hey if a group of people can survive the Mongols, Black Death, and Dracula then zombies are merely afternoon entertainment.

BrookM wrote:That trope is called "Murder, arson and jaywalking" btw.

Is that your photograph? Is that your girlfriend? Are you a model? Can I get your number perhaps? You look hawt for a wargaming chick!

I dunno. While they've got a lot of advantages the fact that their only option is hand to hand combat makes me think they could be in trouble, especially if its a disease or infection and can be spread through blood or tissues.

Well, they have bows and arrows as well as possibly crossbows. Bow training was compulsory in England for all males at a few points in our history.

I personally believe people in the middle ages would fair better than those of us in "modern times".

No reliance on technological do-dads.
Much greater sense of community.
Overall much more self reliance.
A hardier lot overall.

Let's be completely honest,most people in this day and age tend to be self absorbed,creature comfort addicted wimps.

MeanGreenStompa wrote:

BrookM wrote:That trope is called "Murder, arson and jaywalking" btw.

Is that your photograph? Is that your girlfriend? Are you a model? Can I get your number perhaps? You look hawt for a wargaming chick!

Oh Brian! I've told you several times before now, you can scream at me any time of the day!

BrookM wrote:Osprey (yes, that serious Military source book company) has published a nice book on zombies called "Zombies - a hunters guide", which talks about why massive zombie outbreaks didn't really happen back in the day, mainly due to Necromancers not being able to break the holy bonds of Christian and Muslim cemeteries. It wasn't until Europe diversified its religion and those wacky nazis got the Spear of Destiny that they could raise dead from Christian burial grounds.

That's brilliant. Seriously, that is some good stuff. Buying that book immediately, actually.

On topic, I think they would do a lot better back in the old days. There have been a lot of good reasons given already ie people were a lot handier and used to hard work in general, but I think a big part of it being better back then is that there was so much more open ground to run away to. In the current day US you don't have anywhere to run (other than in places like Wyoming and whatnot) without approaching another major population center.

It's a good book, two thumbs up. A bit on the slim side, but all zombie variants and then some are discussed.

ah, another Zombie Thread.

According to The Zombie Survival Guide older civilizations had less problems with Zombie outbreaks. Roman Centurians would just be like "meh, another zombie" then chop its head off routinely. Knowledge of close quarters combat was more common and those still make the best Zombie killing weaons.
Also, giant metropolitan areas like NYC were much less common so having one of them turn into a giant zombie city that destroys the world was not an issue.

In more Realistic terms (no Magic) good things
*Better Defence
*More Weapons
*No Tech
*Forts and Castles

In non Realistic terms (No Magic) Bad Things
* Communitcation
* Lack of medicine
* Belief in Devils and Gods cause Zelots and Fanatics to arrise /note/ could be a could thing

In non Realistic terms (Magic) Good things
* Magic!
*Better Defence
*More Weapons
*No Tech
*Forts and Castles
In less Realistic terms (Magic) Bad things
* Magical Zombies
* Necromancers
* Magic!

blood reaper wrote:In more Realistic terms (no Magic) good things
*Better Defence
*More Weapons
*No Tech
*Forts and Castles

In non Realistic terms (No Magic) Bad Things
* Communitcation
* Lack of medicine
* Belief in Devils and Gods cause Zelots and Fanatics to arrise /note/ could be a could thing

Communication- I would see the lack of a "mass media" as a positive thing,who needs to hear from "Scott...live on the scene",when for all intents and purposes Scott usually doesn't know gak about gak and will probably further confuse the situation.
As for communication in a tactical aspect,surely a few riders on horseback or carrier pigeons can carry vital info from village to village.

Lack of medicines-Once your bit, your done for...so not all that important in the grand scheme of things.

Zealots and Fanatics--Probably a good thing if there zealously bashing in zombie heads.