Unlikely, and we already know the Riders hid all that technology shit, so presumably that included the nobility. In any case technology and culture might affect each other but they aren't the same thing.

Or they just didn't innovate. I remember a quote described Queen Victoria as a paperweight in regards to talking about new things during the Edwardian Era.

Yeah, and that annoys me.

Very understandable for her to do it though. I would do the same thing.

Yeeeeaah, just how did he acquire these things? It sounds to me like they've probably got some sort of cultural if not religious significance to the "nomads", so would they really be willing to sell them to some random guy from the cities? Or are we to take it that the masks were instead stolen or looted?

Given that Bachel has them, I think he's lying through his teeth.