General Variables   Download All (.CSV)
We have coded a total of 7,348 different values for 21 variables in 529 polities.
This section of the Seshat database focuses on the essential aspects of polity organization and dynamics. It includes data on alternative name, original name, and capital, which provide information on how polities were identified. Variables such as degree of centralization, peak years, and duration reveal the administrative, temporal, and structural characteristics of past societies. Additionally, this section captures the relationships and interactions between polities, including preceding entity, succeeding entity, and relationship to preceding entity. Religious and cultural contexts are represented through variables like religion, religious tradition, and scale of supracultural interaction. Furthermore, linguistic and territorial attributes are documented, including language, language genus, linguistic family, and UTM zone.
Range Present / Coded Partially coded Transitional Absent Suspected Unknown Unknown Uncoded To Be Coded

Identity and Location

 504 coded records
 1,316 coded records
 497 coded records
Polity Capital TEXT+   
 629 coded records

Temporal Bounds

 523 coded records
 301 coded records

Political and Cultural Relations

 498 coded records
 393 coded records
 443 coded records
 272 coded records
 132 coded records

Language

 611 coded records
 507 coded records
 42 coded records

Religion

 138 coded records
 148 coded records
 44 coded records
 43 coded records
 33 coded records
 106 coded records
 168 coded records