Thinker
Senior Veteran
Regarding the time period: Jacob, MIB, and 'Mom', are all very light of skin, arguing for european ancestry. Europeans started large scale exploration of the world circa 1500 - 1600 AD...but: the other people on the island this time around mostly had much darker skin. No evidence of firearms, telescopes, or christianity at the settlement. The round dwellings, while similiar to Celtic dwellings from way back, pretty much went out of style by the time the age of exploration got underway.
The other alternative would be that this took place in Roman Republic/early Roman Empire times: that accounts for the races present, the lack of high technology, and the round dwellings. For a time, the Roman Empire had substantial influence over much of what is now the middle east; furthermore they are known to have sent the occasional expedition as far off as China - the last leg of such a voyage putting them in the pacific ocean. The Romans, along with the Greeks and the Celts integrated into their regime, would have been light skinned enough to account for Jacob, MIB, and 'Mom'. Also, while they didn't have firearms or telescopes, the ancient romans - or at least their greek subjects - did have reputations for being extremely clever - which did impress MIB somewhat. Likewise, (despite contemporary christians wishing otherwise) Christianity was not a significant factor in the Roman regime until later in its history; instead most of the more educated people tended towards what is now termed gnosticism, which is in accord with 'Moms' speech the first time she showed Jacob and MIB the 'Heart of the Island'.
One other detail, in ancient Roman times, 'Jacob' would have been not a general name, but a jewish one. Jacob and MIB's real mother might have been part of the jewish diaspora.
Hence...this story probably took place something on the order of 1900 - 2000 years ago. It could be set during the later roman empire, up to around AD 300, but after that christianity would have been difficult or impossible to ignore, and by AD 300 Rome had pretty much fallen out of touch with more distant parts of the world.
Question becomes, though: for how much time prior to that was 'Mom' the guardian. Light skinned, so Roman, Celtic, or Greek. Go back to say...400BC, and the Celts are nomadic wanderers and Rome is a corrupt petty kingdom. Greece, though was embarking upon an age of exploration then; circa 300 BC Alexander the Great conquored much of the known world clear to the borders of India before turning back. 'Mom' might have taken up residence (gone to the island from Greek controlled areas) in the immediate wake of that conquest. If she waited more than a few decades after Alexanders campaigns...well his empire broke up into warring factions in a hurry, making such a journey difficult or impossible.
The other alternative would be that this took place in Roman Republic/early Roman Empire times: that accounts for the races present, the lack of high technology, and the round dwellings. For a time, the Roman Empire had substantial influence over much of what is now the middle east; furthermore they are known to have sent the occasional expedition as far off as China - the last leg of such a voyage putting them in the pacific ocean. The Romans, along with the Greeks and the Celts integrated into their regime, would have been light skinned enough to account for Jacob, MIB, and 'Mom'. Also, while they didn't have firearms or telescopes, the ancient romans - or at least their greek subjects - did have reputations for being extremely clever - which did impress MIB somewhat. Likewise, (despite contemporary christians wishing otherwise) Christianity was not a significant factor in the Roman regime until later in its history; instead most of the more educated people tended towards what is now termed gnosticism, which is in accord with 'Moms' speech the first time she showed Jacob and MIB the 'Heart of the Island'.
One other detail, in ancient Roman times, 'Jacob' would have been not a general name, but a jewish one. Jacob and MIB's real mother might have been part of the jewish diaspora.
Hence...this story probably took place something on the order of 1900 - 2000 years ago. It could be set during the later roman empire, up to around AD 300, but after that christianity would have been difficult or impossible to ignore, and by AD 300 Rome had pretty much fallen out of touch with more distant parts of the world.
Question becomes, though: for how much time prior to that was 'Mom' the guardian. Light skinned, so Roman, Celtic, or Greek. Go back to say...400BC, and the Celts are nomadic wanderers and Rome is a corrupt petty kingdom. Greece, though was embarking upon an age of exploration then; circa 300 BC Alexander the Great conquored much of the known world clear to the borders of India before turning back. 'Mom' might have taken up residence (gone to the island from Greek controlled areas) in the immediate wake of that conquest. If she waited more than a few decades after Alexanders campaigns...well his empire broke up into warring factions in a hurry, making such a journey difficult or impossible.
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