Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Postal sytems

Courier

Full-time professional couriers.  
Contributors: Jenny, Majid, Peter

Variable Definition
Polity The Seshat Polity Name
Year(s) The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE]
Confidence Inferred : The value is inferred.
Suspected : The value is suspected (Expert Check Needed).
Evidenced : The value is backed up by sufficient evidence.
Disputed? No : No disagreement among scholars.
Yes : There is disagreement among scholars.
Expert? : Not yet Checked by a Seshat Expert.
: Checked and accepted by a Seshat Expert (or RA).

Variable Definition
courier The absence or presence of courier for a polity.

# Polity   Year(s)   Courier   Confidence     Disputed?     Expert?   Edit
1
Spanish Empire II
1716 CE 1814 CE
present
Confident No Edit
2
Soviet Union
1923 CE 1991 CE
present
Confident No Edit
3
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
4
Hephthalites
-
present
Inferred No Edit
5
Cahokia - Late Woodland III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
6
Cahokia - Late Woodland I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
7
Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
8
Sogdiana - City-States Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
9
Kidarite Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
10
Kushan Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
11
Tocharians
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
12
Northern Song
-
present
Confident No Edit
13
Sui Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
14
Badarian
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
15
Egypt - Inter-Occupation Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
16
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate I
-
present
Confident No Edit
17
Nkore
-
present
Confident No Edit
18
Foys
-
present
Inferred No Edit
19
Plantagenet England
-
present
Confident No Edit
20
Us Reconstruction-Progressive
-
present
Confident No Edit
21
Antebellum US
-
present
Confident No Edit
22
British Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
23
Napoleonic France
-
present
Inferred No Edit
24
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate III
-
present
Confident No Edit
25
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate II
-
present
Confident No Edit
26
Naqada I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
27
Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
28
Egypt - Late Old Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
29
Egypt - Saite Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
30
Egypt - Thebes-Libyan Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
31
Beaker Culture
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
32
Hallstatt A-B1
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
33
Early Merovingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
34
Proto-Carolingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
35
Middle Merovingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
36
French Kingdom - Late Valois
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
37
Archaic Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
38
Classical Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
39
The Emirate of Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
40
Final Postpalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
41
Geometric Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
42
Hellenistic Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
43
Monopalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
44
Neolithic Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
45
New Palace Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
46
The Old Palace Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
47
Postpalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
48
Prepalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
49
Hawaii I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
50
Hawaii II
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
51
Erligang
-
present
Inferred No Edit
52
Jin
-
present
Inferred No Edit
53
Jin Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
54
Early Qing
-
present
Confident No Edit
55
Tang Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
56
Western Zhou
-
present
Inferred No Edit
57
Yangshao
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
58
Shuar - Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
59
Shuar - Ecuadorian
-
absent
Confident No Edit
60
Egypt - Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
61
Egypt - Dynasty 0
-
present
Inferred No Edit
62
Ptolemaic Kingdom I
-
present
Confident No Edit
63
Ptolemaic Kingdom II
-
present
Confident No Edit
64
Egypt - Period of the Regions
-
present
Inferred No Edit
65
Egypt - Thebes-Hyksos Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
66
Chuuk - Early Truk
-
absent
Confident No Edit
67
Chuuk - Late Truk
-
absent
Confident No Edit
68
Atlantic Complex
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
69
French Kingdom - Early Bourbon
-
present
Confident No Edit
70
Proto-French Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
71
Carolingian Empire I
-
present
Inferred No Edit
72
Carolingian Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
73
Hallstatt C
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
74
Hallstatt D
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
75
La Tene C2-D
-
present
Inferred No Edit
76
Hawaii III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
77
Chagatai Khanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
78
Canaan
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
79
Yisrael
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
80
Chalukyas of Badami
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
81
Chalukyas of Kalyani
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
82
Deccan - Iron Age
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
83
Deccan - Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
84
Hoysala Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
85
Kadamba Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
86
Kampili Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
87
Rashtrakuta Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
88
Vijayanagara Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
89
Abbasid Caliphate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
90
Early Dynastic
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
91
Ubaid
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
92
Uruk
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
93
Elymais II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
94
Formative Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
95
Pre-Ceramic Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
96
Qajar
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
97
Elam - Late Sukkalmah
-
present
Inferred No Edit
98
Susa III
-
present
Confident No Edit
99
Latium - Bronze Age
-
absent
Confident No Edit
100
Latium - Copper Age
-
absent
Confident No Edit
101
Ostrogothic Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
102
Papal States - Renaissance Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
103
Exarchate of Ravenna
-
present
Confident No Edit
104
Western Roman Empire - Late Antiquity
-
present
Confident No Edit
105
Japan - Incipient Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
106
Japan - Initial Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
107
Japan - Early Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
108
Japan - Middle Jomon
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
109
Kara-Khanids
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
110
Western Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
111
Yehuda
-
present
Inferred No Edit
112
Mahajanapada era
-
present
Confident No Edit
113
Satavahana Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
114
Vakataka Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
115
Akkadian Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
116
Neo-Assyrian Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
117
Elam - Awan Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
118
Elam - Crisis Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
119
Elam - Igihalkid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
120
Elam - Shutrukid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
121
Elam II
-
present
Confident No Edit
122
Sasanid Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
123
Sasanid Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
124
Elam - Shimashki Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
125
Icelandic Commonwealth
-
absent
Confident No Edit
126
Rome - Republic of St Peter II
-
present
Confident No Edit
127
Papal States - High Medieval Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
128
Papal States - Medieval Period II
-
present
Confident No Edit
129
Middle Roman Republic
-
present
Confident No Edit
130
Republic of St Peter I
-
present
Confident No Edit
131
Ashikaga Shogunate
-
present
Confident No Edit
132
Kamakura Shogunate
-
present
Confident No Edit
133
Kansai - Yayoi Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
134
Andronovo
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
135
Saadi Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
136
Bamana kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
137
Jenne-jeno I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
138
Jenne-jeno II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
139
Eastern Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
140
Second Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
141
Uigur Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
142
Early Xiongnu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
143
Late Xiongnu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
144
Xiongnu Imperial Confederation
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
145
Cuzco - Early Intermediate I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
146
Cuzco - Early Intermediate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
147
Cuzco - Late Intermediate I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
148
Cuzco - Late Intermediate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
149
Cuzco - Late Formative
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
150
Kachi Plain - Pre-Urban Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
151
Egypt - Kushite Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
152
Sarazm
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
153
Byzantine Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
154
Late Cappadocia
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
155
Konya Plain - Early Chalcolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
156
Konya Plain - Late Chalcolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
157
East Roman Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
158
Kingdom of Lydia
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
159
Lysimachus Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
160
Ottoman Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
161
Ottoman Empire III
-
present
Confident No Edit
162
Phrygian Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
163
Rum Sultanate
-
present
Inferred No Edit
164
Tabal Kingdoms
-
present
Inferred No Edit
165
Cahokia - Early Woodland
-
absent
Confident No Edit
166
Cahokia - Late Woodland II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
167
Cahokia - Middle Woodland
-
absent
Confident No Edit
168
Funan I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
169
Jenne-jeno III
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
170
Mali Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
171
Early Mongols
-
absent
Confident No Edit
172
Late Mongols
-
present
Inferred No Edit
173
Xianbei Confederation
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
174
Later Wagadu Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
175
Monte Alban IIIB and IV
-
absent
Confident No Edit
176
Kingdom of Norway II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
177
Inca Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
178
Wari Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
179
Orokaiva - Pre-Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
180
Orokaiva - Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
181
Kachi Plain - Ceramic Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
182
Kachi Plain - Proto-Historic Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
183
Sind - Abbasid-Fatimid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
184
Kachi Plain - Urban Period I
-
present
Inferred No Edit
185
Umayyad Caliphate
-
present
Confident No Edit
186
Middle Bronze Age in Central Anatolia
-
present
Inferred No Edit
187
Byzantine Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
188
Konya Plain - Late Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
189
Ottoman Emirate
-
present
Confident No Edit
190
Ottoman Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
191
Cahokia - Moorehead
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
192
Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Early
-
present
Confident No Edit
193
Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
194
Yemen - Qasimid Dynasty
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
195
Durrani Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
196
Eastern Han Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
197
Western Jin
-
present
Confident No Edit
198
Erlitou
-
present
Inferred No Edit
199
Hmong - Early Chinese
-
absent
Confident No Edit
200
Longshan
-
present
Inferred No Edit
201
Great Ming
-
present
Confident No Edit
202
Northern Wei
-
present
Confident No Edit
203
Late Qing
-
present
Confident No Edit
204
Late Shang
-
present
Inferred No Edit
205
Tang Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
206
Early Wei Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
207
Western Han Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
208
British Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
209
Khanate of Bukhara
-
present
Inferred No Edit
210
Rasulid Dynasty
-
present
Inferred No Edit
211
Oaxaca - Tierras Largas
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
212
Oaxaca - Rosario
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
213
Great Yuan
-
present
Confident No Edit
214
Ayyubid Sultanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
215
Egypt - Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
216
Egypt - Middle Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
217
Naqada II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
218
Egypt - New Kingdom Ramesside Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
219
Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
220
Egypt - Tulunid-Ikhshidid Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
221
Spanish Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
222
Axum I
-
present
Confident No Edit
223
French Kingdom - Late Bourbon
-
present
Confident No Edit
224
French Kingdom - Late Capetian
-
present
Confident No Edit
225
Hallstatt B2-3
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
226
La Tene A-B1
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
227
La Tene B2-C1
-
present
Inferred No Edit
228
French Kingdom - Early Valois
-
present
Confident No Edit
229
Oaxaca - San Jose
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
230
Akan - Pre-Ashanti
-
present
Inferred No Edit
231
Ashanti Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
232
Iban - Pre-Brooke
-
absent
Confident No Edit
233
Iban - Brooke Raj and Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
234
Majapahit Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
235
Mataram Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
236
Medang Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
237
Delhi Sultanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
238
Roman Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
239
Early A'chik
-
absent
Confident No Edit
240
Late A'chik
-
present
Confident No Edit
241
Magadha - Maurya Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
242
Mughal Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
243
Abbasid Caliphate I
-
present
Confident No Edit
244
Amorite Babylonia
-
present
Confident No Edit
245
Ur - Dynasty III
-
present
Confident No Edit
246
Achaemenid Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
247
Ak Koyunlu
-
present
Confident No Edit
248
Buyid Confederation
-
present
Confident No Edit
249
Ilkhanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
250
Elam - Kidinuid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
251
Elam I
-
present
Confident No Edit
252
Elam I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
253
Elam II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
254
Parthian Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
255
Parthian Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
256
Safavid Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
257
Seleucids
-
present
Confident No Edit
258
Seljuk Sultanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
259
Elam - Early Sukkalmah
-
present
Inferred No Edit
260
Susa II
-
present
Confident No Edit
261
Latium - Iron Age
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
262
Papal States - Medieval Period I
-
present
Confident No Edit
263
Early Roman Republic
-
present
Confident No Edit
264
Late Roman Republic
-
present
Confident No Edit
265
Roman Empire - Principate
-
present
Inferred No Edit
266
Republic of Venice III
-
present
Confident No Edit
267
Asuka
-
present
Inferred No Edit
268
Japan - Azuchi-Momoyama
-
present
Confident No Edit
269
Heian
-
present
Confident No Edit
270
Nara Kingdom
-
absent
Confident No Edit
271
Warring States Japan
-
present
Confident No Edit
272
Tokugawa Shogunate
-
present
Confident No Edit
273
Classical Angkor
-
present
Confident No Edit
274
Early Angkor
-
present
Confident No Edit
275
Late Angkor
-
present
Confident No Edit
276
Kachi Plain - Aceramic Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
277
Khmer Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
278
Chenla
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
279
Funan II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
280
Phoenician Empire
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
281
Jenne-jeno IV
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
282
Songhai Empire - Askiya Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
283
Khitan I
-
present
Confident No Edit
284
Mongol Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
285
Rouran Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
286
Zungharian Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
287
Middle Wagadu Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
288
Early Monte Alban I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
289
Monte Alban Late I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
290
Monte Alban II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
291
Monte Alban III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
292
Early Formative Basin of Mexico
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
293
Middle Formative Basin of Mexico
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
294
Kachi Plain - Chalcolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
295
Kachi Plain - Post-Urban Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
296
Kachi Plain - Urban Period II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
297
Sakha - Early
-
absent
Confident No Edit
298
Sakha - Late
-
present
Confident No Edit
299
Fatimid Caliphate
-
present
Inferred No Edit
300
Konya Plain - Late Bronze Age II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
301
Byzantine Empire III
-
present
Confident No Edit
302
Hatti - New Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
303
Hatti - Old Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
304
Samanid Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
305
Roman Empire - Dominate
-
present
Inferred No Edit
306
Cahokia - Lohman-Stirling
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
307
Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Late
-
present
Confident No Edit
308
Kingdom of Hawaii - Kamehameha Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
309
Timurid Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
310
Himyar I
-
present
Confident No Edit
311
Himyar II
-
present
Confident No Edit
312
Yemen - Tahirid Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
313
Yemen - Era of Warlords
-
present
Confident No Edit
314
Kingdom of Jimma
-
present
Confident No Edit
315
Emirate of Harar
-
present
Confident No Edit
316
Sokoto Caliphate
-
present
Confident No Edit
317
Buganda
-
present
Confident No Edit
318
Harla Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
319
Tudor and Early Stuart England
-
present
Confident No Edit
320
Oirats
-
present
Confident No Edit
321
Golden Horde
-
present
Confident No Edit
322
Saffarid Caliphate
-
present
Confident No Edit
323
Lombard Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
324
Anglo-Saxon England II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
325
Khwarezmid Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
326
Hohokam Culture
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
327
British Empire IIIIIIIIII
-
present
Confident No Edit
328
Russian Empire, Romanov Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
329
Early United Mexican States
-
present
Confident No Edit
330
Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty
-
present
Inferred No Edit
331
Ghur Principality
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit