Barkonian

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			Intelligent Lifeform Index

Barkonian
Four Letter Code	BARK
Federation Status	Neutral
Planet of Origin	Barkon IV
Encountered	By the USS Enterprise-D (TNG: Thine Own Self)
T/E Rating	T0/E0
Current Tech Level	C-
List of Named Barkonians
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PRIME DIRECTIVE PRECAUTIONS IN EFFECT This species is protected per Starfleet General Order 1 No personnel may interfere with its normal development

Barkonians are peaceful, preindustrial humanoids. There isn't the problem of crime on their homeworld and most of the villages know each other by name. It is full of good community spirit.

Home System

• Quadrant: Alpha
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• Star: Unknown
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Home World

• Proper Name: Barkon IV
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• Classification: M
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Description

The people of Barkon IV are humanoid, but are distinguished by brown markings on their foreheads.

Society

Though it is a patriarchal society, females are far from excluded from public life. Women of learning are looked to for their expertise, medical, educational, scientific, or otherwise. Girls attend school alongside boys; all pupils learn spelling and reading, arithmetic and science.

Barkonian medicine and science cannot be considered true science as we would understand it, but a close look reveals the exciting prospect that the culture is perhaps only a few short generations away from their own scientific revolution. Academics seek scientific answers to questions of medicine and the nature of the world. They are moving away from the supersitions of the previous generations, whose belief in demons, spirits, and monsters is dismissed as ridiculous superstition. They have yet to discover the scientific method.

Modern Barkonians tend to reason by analogy, making superficial observations instead of seeking empirical evidence. For example, they believe that the basic elements of the univers are rock, fire, sky and water. To prove this assertion to students, a teacher may examine a simple stick from the ground. It's heft is given as evidence of fire, and the smoke from the fire is given as evidence of air. Water is more difficult to show in a pieve of wood, but the explanation is offered that sometimes an element is buried very deep within an object.

Despite the lack out sound scientific methodology, Barkonians do show a keen desire to understand the world around them and have begun to develop scientific instruments like magnifying lens. Medicine is still primitive, but they do have a knowledge of external and internal anatomy, and some understanding of the role of body temperature. Scholars are derisive of the superstitions of earlier generations.

Unlike medieval Europe, revolutions in scientific through on Barkon IV wont be hampered by religion. However, combating superstition may prove just as challenging. Though a peaceful fold, the general populace tends to raise the drawbridge on reason and retreat behind the safe and familiar walls of superstition when it feels threatened. To a simple stable society, change is often perceived to be the greated threat of all.

Culture

A quick glance around a Barkon village shows an advanced use of masonry. Stonework dominates the architecture: buildings, arched entrances to the village square, and the town square's central plaza and roadways are built of large, sturdy blocks of gray stone. The village square is uncommonly clean, devoid of garbage, detritus, or even of the leavings of beasts of burden; bicycles are the preferred way to travel. Teh sanitary condition of the village shows both the aesthetic sensibilities of the Barkonians and the understanding of the role hygiene plays in health.

The village square is the focal point of village society. Here is found the village's communal well, the nearest source of fresh water. The village blacksmith shop, baker, and other merchants ply their trakes in the square. The village school is located here too, in an open-air classroom made possible by the mild climate.

Technology

Similar to that of Europe's Middle Ages. No artificial power sources, but the population have developed simple scientific tools.

Notes

Most or all of this article has come from Star Trek Fact Files. File 18, Card 33