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PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post Isengard- When?
on: September 12, 2011 02:19
I'm having a bit of trouble placing the construction date for Isengard, and also for many of the other monuments erected When the Kingdoms in Exile were established after the downfall of Numenor.

According to the Tale of Years in vol 12 of HOME;
The realms in exile were established in II 3320, and when they were established, the Palantiri were divided up and one of the stones was placed in the Tower of Orthanc. This implies that Orthanc was already constructed when the stone was placed in it.
Yet Isengard was supposed to have been erected by the Numenorians after Gondor was founded.
cirdaneth
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Post RE: Isengard- When?
on: September 14, 2011 09:32
Just a few thoughts ...

Although, the Numenorians had been visiting ME since the time of Aldarion, and later built coastal strongholds and trading ports, I don’t think they ventured very far inland until the time of the War of the Elves and Sauron when the force sent by Tar-Minastir helped to drive the Dark Lord’s forces back through the Gap of Rohan. Circa 2A1701. It would make sense if some sort of stronghold were established at this time in a place that could guard against his return and give Numenor an inland foothold for trading and forestry purposes.

Isengard seems to have been built in phases. LotR says that the Numenoreans smoothed the circle and that it was Saruman who later built the baracks and workshops around the ring-wall. It is never made clear whether Orthanc is a built or natural structure, although I imagine it is a bit of both. Karen Wynn-Fonstadt’s Atlas of ME suggests it is a volcanic plug from which the outer rock has been removed (for building) leaving the basalt core which was shaped into the tower. I agree with the volcanic plug idea, but Tolkien seems to suggest that Orthanc is a tower built on a rock, which seems altogether more believable. Basalt makes sense and if the existing plug were shaped and the material used to build the tower atop it, it would appear as a single structure.

So let’s say that the Numenoreans discover the Wizard’s Vale while chasing Sauron back east in 2A1701, and work on levelling the circle and building the tower for the rest of the 2nd Age. If so, when the kingdoms in Exile were established they would already have a tower in which to place their palantir.
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