what would possibly exist in the farthest east?

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

Well, war-chariots were 'primitive', in that they were an intermediate step on the way to full mounted cavaltry. Some cultures of course skipped right over the step; but it certainly was the case that chariots by classical times had been relegated to parades and races- and a few isolated and, yes, backwards peoples like the Britons.

Basically, chariots were for armies that hadn't yet figured out how to fight from horeseback; decent cav would rip them a new one.

The east-to-west migration of successive tribes like the Balchoth and Wainriders might mirror the Iron Age Celtic migrations across Europe, as Celts were avid charioteers. The Gaelic culture had its hero Cuchulainn riding a chariot into battle, and the Britons, with very Tolkienesque nomenclature, had the Wetwang Chariot:

http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore...ot_burial.aspx

[tom the eldest]

Chariots were probably more useful in ME.the only time gondor ever win against balchoth and wainriders was because they had allies.in the balchoth case,the rohirrim ambushes them from the rear,while in the wainriders case,eärnil was ambushing them in their camp,whoch is known as the battle of the camp.but,the chariots were no match for the rohirrim,because chariots are,i think,less agile than horseman.

[denethorthefirst]

There are probably several dwarven kingdoms in the east. We know that all the dwarven houses united to fight the orcs of the misty mountains in the war of the orcs and dwarves. Since the only dwarven states/groups that are mentioned in the west are those in the iron mountains, the blue mountains, erebor and moria the remaining houses must have come from the east. If I remember correctly four of the seven dwarven houses originated in the east. Considering that Sauron couldn't conquer Moria I guess it's likely that these dwarven pockets survived during the second and third ages even though Sauron ruled the surrounding areas.

I always wondered what happened to the Avari. It's possible I guess that they prospered relatively uninterrupted in the first age while Morgoth was locked up in the North during his war with the Noldor. Luckily for the Avari he wasn't in a position to divert much of his attention to the rest of arda during the wars in Beleriand. Maybe the Avari built several great kingdoms, or maybe they lacked the population numbers and necessary culture to built successful states and got annihilated in wars against dwarves, men and morgoths surviving monsters from his days at utumno.
At least by the time of the second Age, when Sauron expanded eastwards, the peaceful time for the Avari probably ended and they were either enslaved or hunted down.

[Marwhini]

I could swear that in The Hobbit Bilbo mentions that there were "Snake-men" out in the Sandy Deserts to the far-East-of-East.

I think that was just Hobbit-Myth, though (A Fairy-tale in a Fairy-tale).

MB

[Marwhini]

Originally Posted by denethorthefirst

There are probably several dwarven kingdoms in the east. We know that all the dwarven houses united to fight the orcs of the misty mountains in the war of the orcs and dwarves. Since the only dwarven states/groups that are mentioned in the west are those in the iron mountains, the blue mountains, erebor and moria the remaining houses must have come from the east. If I remember correctly four of the seven dwarven houses originated in the east. Considering that Sauron couldn't conquer Moria I guess it's likely that these dwarven pockets survived during the second and third ages even though Sauron ruled the surrounding areas.

I always wondered what happened to the Avari. It's possible I guess that they prospered relatively uninterrupted in the first age while Morgoth was locked up in the North during his war with the Noldor. Luckily for the Avari he wasn't in a position to divert much of his attention to the rest of arda during the wars in Beleriand. Maybe the Avari built several great kingdoms, or maybe they lacked the population numbers and necessary culture to built successful states and got annihilated in wars against dwarves, men and morgoths surviving monsters from his days at utumno.
At least by the time of the second Age, when Sauron expanded eastwards, the peaceful time for the Avari probably ended and they were either enslaved or hunted down.

In Morgoth's Ring, specifically the Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, Tolkien does mention that Morgoth, or one of his lieutenants, got out to Hildórien to muck things up for the Early Humans in Middle-earth, turning them completely to Morgothism (worship of Morgoth), and turning them away from their "Gift," causing them to fear Death rather than welcoming it when their time was allotted.

And Tolkien in his exploration of Orcs, and where they come from mentions that Morgoth got out East quite a bit, even in the First Age (Probably not personally, unless we count the possible once that he left to go enslave humanity).

But the Avari could still have built significant kingdoms out there.

There is even some room to look into extra-canonical Peoples out there representing an Idealized East-Asian kingdom, with an associated Elven Kingdom.

I heard someone at a convention bring that possibility up, as a group of "Faithful" who fled even further East, rather than West.

MB

[Faramir Jones]

According to Akallabêth, published in The Silmarillion, due to the Ban of the Valar

the voyages of the Dúnedain in those days [most of the Second Age] went ever eastward and not westward, from the darkness of the North to the heats of the South, and beyond the South to the Nether Darkness; and they came even into the inner seas, and sailed about Middle-earth and glimpsed from their high prows the Gates of Morning in the East.

If those Gates were anything like how they've been represented by some artists, including Roger Garland, the sight of them must have been well worth the voyage!

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Faramir Jones

According to Akallabêth, published in The Silmarillion, due to the Ban of the Valar

the voyages of the Dúnedain in those days [most of the Second Age] went ever eastward and not westward, from the darkness of the North to the heats of the South, and beyond the South to the Nether Darkness; and they came even into the inner seas, and sailed about Middle-earth and glimpsed from their high prows the Gates of Morning in the East.

If those Gates were anything like how they've been represented by some artists, including Roger Garland, the sight of them must have been well worth the voyage!

Unfortunately for those of the Third Age, I would think the Gates to have been done away with during the Downfall of Númenor. The Round World wouldn't seem to have a place for them.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

Unfortunately for those of the Third Age, I would think the Gates to have been done away with during the Downfall of Númenor. The Round World wouldn't seem to have a place for them.

But the Golden Arches still exist! I saw them this morning on the way to the office.