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