What happened to Mordor?

What happened to Mordor after the fall of the Dark Tower? Was it possible for men to clear the evil waste in this land & use it for good purposes? Also, what of Cirith Ungol? With the throne vacant, could this dreadful city ever be returned to it's former glory as Minas Ithil?

[Rumil]

As far as I remember the fertile lands of Mordor around lake Nurnen were given by Aragorn to the freed slaves of Sauron, so I guess this part was fertile and habitable.

As for Northern Mordor, Gorgoroth etc, it seems heavily polluted by Sauron & co and low on rainfall, added to that Mt. Doom blew ts top and preumably covered the place in ash, pyroclastic flows, lava, spikey rocks, bits of winged beast etc. The Towers of the Teeth collapsed at the destruction of the ring but don't know about Cirith Ungol. Certainly Aragorn intended to destroy Minas Morgul,

'For', said he, 'Minas Ithil in Morgul Vale shall be utterly destroyed, and though it may in time to come be made clean no man may dwell there for many long years.'

I'd guess that that must of been true of most of the nastier bits of Mordor.

However, to speculate, if the climate had improved and Northern Mordor got a bit more rain it would be likely that plants would return swiftly and recolonise the place. For example, the area around Mount St Helens in the USA was devastated when it blew up but is now recovering, the remaining bits of Krakatoa are now lush jungle etc.

[Alfirin]

If I was Aragorn, (or for that matter Faramir sice as Price of Ithilien Mordor is now directly on my border). There would be A few MAJOR things I would do before I let anyone live in Mordor. The end of Sauron left a lot of little dangers left in Mordor and I would definty not want to leave any of them lying around for some other dark lord wannable to find.

First and Formost I would send a VERY large, VERY well armored and armed Group of warriors directly to Cirrith Ungol to make sure Shelob is dead or to kill her if she isn't If she is alive she I just too great a risk to live next to especially since they is always the chance that with not orc sacrifices to feed her she could develop Ungoliants ablity to make her own darkness and migh leve the caves to go hunting in the land at large.

Secondly I would see that the ashes of Baradur were CAREFULLY sifted to confirm the destruction of such items as the Ithil stone (I wouldn't want some other person with acess to a Palantir without my knowledge.) Similarly though it is not directly in Mordor I would establish a Garrison to put Amon Hen and Amon Llaw back into service.

Thirdly (and admittely least importantly I would forces to do some serios civic improments such as clearing all the thorns of Mordor and making a few more roads

I can proably think of more things later but thats enough to start

Originally Posted by Alfirin

If I was Aragorn, (or for that matter Faramir sice as Price of Ithilien Mordor is now directly on my border). There would be A few MAJOR things I would do before I let anyone live in Mordor. The end of Sauron left a lot of little dangers left in Mordor and I would definty not want to leave any of them lying around for some other dark lord wannable to find.

First and Formost I would send a VERY large, VERY well armored and armed Group of warriors directly to Cirrith Ungol to make sure Shelob is dead or to kill her if she isn't If she is alive she I just too great a risk to live next to especially since they is always the chance that with not orc sacrifices to feed her she could develop Ungoliants ablity to make her own darkness and migh leve the caves to go hunting in the land at large.

Secondly I would see that the ashes of Baradur were CAREFULLY sifted to confirm the destruction of such items as the Ithil stone (I wouldn't want some other person with acess to a Palantir without my knowledge.) Similarly though it is not directly in Mordor I would establish a Garrison to put Amon Hen and Amon Llaw back into service.

Thirdly (and admittely least importantly I would forces to do some serios civic improments such as clearing all the thorns of Mordor and making a few more roads

I can proably think of more things later but thats enough to start

These suggestions would take many, many years to implement, especially after the battering Gondor took during it's siege. I would, however, be very interested to know what unkown treasures may be found in Cirith Ungol, which is still intact. Also, Moria may be rekindled to it's former glory. Mithril may be found also. This is all fine & well, but what did actually happen? Where did all the orcs go?

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Mansun

Where did all the orcs go?

There was a thread back then, I don't know how much help it will be, but you can look at it: HERE

Did the Dwarves ever retake Moria?

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by Mansun

These suggestions would take many, many years to implement, especially after the battering Gondor took during it's siege. I would, however, be very interested to know what unkown treasures may be found in Cirith Ungol, which is still intact. Also, Moria may be rekindled to it's former glory. Mithril may be found also. This is all fine & well, but what did actually happen? Where did all the orcs go?

I never said that the chages metioned would be easy . Re-building a completely wrecked territory is never easy. I merely said that I beived that all of these steps would be necesscary before any serious settling could occur at least in Northern Mordor. Granted most of the steps would take a very long time (especially the last two) In fact they probably could not be completed within Aragorn's lifetime. I was merely point out that if Cirith Ungol was left as is it would be a potential disaster down the line. And it simply would make sense to send a small force early than to wait and have to send a very large force later. Shelob is Mighty But I would imagine the a hundred or so warriors suitably armed and provision with appropriate items (such as a lot of torches and bonfire wood) would be able to handle her. Alternitvely (if Aragorn would be willing to decend to the level of claiming some of the enemies technology for his own use) Aragorn could have some of Sauruman's blasting fire made up (the recipe is probably somewhere in Orthanc; I doubt Saruman was able to take many of his books with him) and simply blast the cave closed at both ends. Checking for the Ithil stone and reclaims Amon Hen and Amon Llaw were simply my ideas for the king to be able to make sure that all metods of extmemly long distace survaillance were under his control. the bramable removal and road addions would be of lowers priority and might in fact be uneseccary (if the climate chaged the brambles might die of thier own accord) I agree with you that thier might be treasure in Cirrith Ungol ( I assume you meant the tower not the cave itself) and such treasure might be useful in re-building

[William Cloud Hicklin]

There was a prophecy that a descendant (at some unspecified time in the future) of Thorin III Stonehelm would be Durin VII, and in his time the Dwarves would return to Moria: but he would be the last reincarnation of Durin.