Hamanian Empire
Contents
Etymology
The name Hama is derived from the Hamanese word for sojourner and became the ethnonym for a group of travellers (consisting of merchants, mercenaries and others) that moved to the area that presently forms the Yasteria portion of the Hamanian Empire. As they became sessile, the name Hama stuck and transformed from a description of a loose alliance of nomads but the name of a nation. The demonym (adjective by which the people are described and things from the nation are identified) is Hamanian.
History
Prehistory
The area that presently forms the Yasterian portion of the empire, known as Yasterian Hama, remained largely uninhabited for a long time even when other part of the world were inhabited. There is evidence of metal tools and pottery that is traced to 1,000 BCE. This is believed to mark the first presence of humans in the area. Through mitochondrial DNA tracing and genetic testing of remains traced to that era, the Hamanite people, who presently form the largest ethnic group in the empire, have dominated the empire are believed to be direct descendants of these early people. With the absence of evidence of permanent settlement such as farming implements and physical structures, there is consensus among anthropologists that these early people were nomads.
Even though they lacked a session existence, the way in which the remains are buried and the relative sophistication of the artefacts found there, most anthropologists believe that the Hamanite people migrated over a relatively short time to the area. They are believed to have travelled in large groups called caravans consisting of domesticated animals such as camels, horses and cattle and many goods. They are believed to have camped for extended periods of time. There is evidence to suggest that these caravans had strong social hierarchies, sophisticated social norms, and some form of polytheistic religion that set them apart from each other. There is evidence to suggest that these caravans competed over resources such as water, pasture for their livestock, routes over which to travel and access to migrating herds. This competition is believed to have been violent, sparking many wars. The first evidence of the ethnonym "Hama" is a stone tablet from Packilvania that mentions a nation of travellers from the area where Yasterian Hama is presently located.
Medieval history
The first settlements were built between 500 and 300 years BCE. The oldest of these believed to be the Rahadunim ruins of southeast Yasterian Hama. The Rahadunim ruins are a collection of primitive structures made of mud. Although much of the area is destroyed, there are some structures (in mostly poor condition) that show evidence of settlement that can be dated to circa 500 BCE. There are also the Thadiman ruins. These are ruins of what is believed to have been a pagan shrine built of massive pieces of stone. There is no evidence of settlement around the area, by anthropologists believe that increased sophistication in religion may have inspired a community to develop around or near this structure.
Much of Hama's history is not written. The original Hamanites were illiterate. Rather than writing, they developed a strong oral tradition to pass on information. Pictographs were also used to pass on information or preserve stories. These pictures here painted or carved into cave walls or stone tablets. The ancestor of the Radunic script that is used today, was introduced by merchants from Packilvania who wanted to trade with the primitive natives. They brought the Syriac script that they had used from their own part of Packilvania and imparted it upon the people of Hama. Unfortunately, writing was limited to the elites and most people's histories remained unwritten for centuries.
