I am specifically talking about the long running and eternal dispute over "historical accuracy." Which is often trotted out for such things as justifying a lack of diversity in Euro based fantasy settings or the low level of technology.
So potatoes come from the Americas. Along with the tomato, they were imported during the Columbian "Exchange" (someone other than me can do some more unpacking on colonialism).
Ok cool. They came from across the fucking ocean, what does that have to do with historical accuracy.
They weren't cultivated in Europe until about 1544, tomatoes, and 1570, potatoes, both in Spain because conquistadors.
An abbreviated list of technological and cultural things that happened before or during the period when these 2 nightshades were introduced and cultivated in Europe. Because my basic thrust is about technology and diversity, although yall are still racists for having milk-stained folks.
Matchlocks: 1440s
Wheellocks: 1490s
The Protestant Reformation: 1517 to 1521, depending on how you wish to think of its start.
The Gutenberg revolution, i.e. moveable type printing presses: 1540s.
Snaplocks: 1540s
Snaphance: 1550s
Miquelet locks: 1560-70s
A list of historical treatises that cover in part the use of the rapier through this span of time, a perennial favorite of murder stab machine rogues in some games like D&D:
- Antonio Manciolino, Opera Nova per Imparare a Combattere, & Schermire d'ogni sorte Armi – 1531
- Achille Marozzo, Opera Nova Chiamata Duello, O Vero Fiore dell'Armi de Singulari Abattimenti Offensivi, & Diffensivi – 1536
- Paulus Hector Mair, Opus Amplissimum de Arte Athletica (1542)
- Anonimo Bolognese, L'Arte della Spada (M-345/M-346 Manuscripts) – (early or mid 16th century)[12][13] date it to "about 1550"[14][15]
- Camillo Agrippa, Trattato di Scientia d'Arme con un Dialogo di Filosofia – 1553
- Giacomo di Grassi, Ragion di Adoprar Sicuramente l'Arme si da Offesa, come da Difesa – 1570
- Giovanni dall'Agocchie, Dell'Arte di Scrimia – 1572
- Angelo Viggiani dal Montone, Trattato dello Schermo – 1575
- Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza, De la Filosofía de las Armas (1569)
- Joachim Meyer, Thorough Descriptions of the free Knightly and Noble Art of Fencing (1570)
Yall need to learn some history. Yall need to stop using bad history to justify the exclusion of non-Euro peoples and cultures. If yall don't want gun in yall's fantasy setting because of magic sure, but if yall want to include potatoes and tomatoes, yall need to have fantasy equivalent of the Americas. And yall should not be racist as fuck when you do include them.