Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Writing Systems

Mnemonic Device

Talking about writing systems, mnemonic devices are: for example, tallies  
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
mnemonic_device The absence or presence of mnemonic device for a polity.

# Polity   Year(s)   Mnemonic Device   Confidence     Disputed?     Expert?   Edit
1
Soviet Union
1923 CE 1991 CE
present
Confident No Edit
2
Sui Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
3
Ashikaga Shogunate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
4
Japan - Azuchi-Momoyama
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
5
Heian
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
6
Sasanid Empire II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
7
Seleucids
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
8
Early Merovingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
9
Middle Merovingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
10
La Tene B2-C1
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
11
La Tene C2-D
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
12
Final Postpalatial Crete
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
13
Prepalatial Crete
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
14
Yisrael
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
15
Deccan - Iron Age
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
16
Satavahana Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
17
Abbasid Caliphate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
18
Ubaid
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
19
Achaemenid Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
20
Ak Koyunlu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
21
Buyid Confederation
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
22
Ilkhanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
23
Pre-Ceramic Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
24
Safavid Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
25
Sasanid Empire I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
26
Ottoman Empire III
-
present
Confident No Edit
27
Great Yuan
-
present
Confident No Edit
28
Neguanje
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
29
Ayyubid Sultanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
30
Badarian
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
31
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate I
-
present
Confident No Edit
32
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate III
-
present
Confident No Edit
33
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate II
-
present
Confident No Edit
34
Egypt - Middle Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
35
Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
36
Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
37
Ptolemaic Kingdom I
-
present
Confident No Edit
38
Ptolemaic Kingdom II
-
present
Confident No Edit
39
Egypt - Period of the Regions
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
40
Egypt - Thebes-Hyksos Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
41
Egypt - Tulunid-Ikhshidid Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
42
Beaker Culture
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
43
Hallstatt A-B1
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
44
Hallstatt B2-3
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
45
Hallstatt C
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
46
Hallstatt D
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
47
Early United Mexican States
-
present
Confident No Edit
48
Seljuk Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
49
Erlitou
-
present
Inferred No Edit
50
Northern Wei
-
present
Confident No Edit
51
Late Qing
-
present
Confident No Edit
52
Western Han Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
53
Egypt - Dynasty 0
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
54
Egypt - Thebes-Libyan Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
55
Chuuk - Early Truk
-
absent
Confident No Edit
56
Chuuk - Late Truk
-
absent
Confident No Edit
57
Atlantic Complex
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
58
Canaan
-
present
Inferred No Edit
59
Abbasid Caliphate I
-
present
Confident No Edit
60
Akkadian Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
61
Elam - Shutrukid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
62
Elam - Shimashki Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
63
Kamakura Shogunate
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
64
Kansai - Kofun Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
65
Nara Kingdom
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
66
Warring States Japan
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
67
Tokugawa Shogunate
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
68
Kara-Khanids
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
69
Phoenician Empire
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
70
Jenne-jeno I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
71
Jenne-jeno II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
72
Jenne-jeno III
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
73
Jenne-jeno IV
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
74
Mali Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
75
Songhai Empire - Askiya Dynasty
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
76
Eastern Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
77
Khitan I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
78
Second Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
79
Uigur Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
80
Xianbei Confederation
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
81
Early Xiongnu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
82
Late Xiongnu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
83
Xiongnu Imperial Confederation
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
84
Later Wagadu Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
85
Middle Wagadu Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
86
Cuzco - Early Intermediate I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
87
Cuzco - Early Intermediate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
88
Cuzco - Late Formative
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
89
Inca Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
90
Egypt - Kushite Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
91
Fatimid Caliphate
-
present
Confident No Edit
92
Konya Plain - Late Bronze Age II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
93
Konya Plain - Early Chalcolithic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
94
East Roman Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
95
Hatti - Old Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
96
Konya Plain - Ceramic Neolithic
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
97
Konya Plain - Early Neolithic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
98
Rome - Republic of St Peter II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
99
Papal States - High Medieval Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
100
Papal States - Medieval Period II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
101
Papal States - Renaissance Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
102
Khmer Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
103
Monte Alban V
-
absent
Confident No Edit
104
Aztec Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
105
Late Formative Basin of Mexico
-
present
Confident No Edit
106
Terminal Formative Basin of Mexico
-
present
Confident No Edit
107
Toltecs
-
present
Confident No Edit
108
Kachi Plain - Aceramic Neolithic
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
109
Kachi Plain - Ceramic Neolithic
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
110
Sakha - Late
-
present
Confident No Edit
111
Umayyad Caliphate
-
present
Confident No Edit
112
Byzantine Empire I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
113
Byzantine Empire III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
114
Konya Plain - Late Neolithic
-
absent
Confident No Edit
115
Ottoman Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
116
Samanid Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
117
Timurid Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
118
Hephthalites
-
present
Confident No Edit
119
Eastern Han Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
120
Western Jin
-
present
Confident No Edit
121
Hmong - Early Chinese
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
122
Jin Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
123
Great Ming
-
present
Confident No Edit
124
Northern Song
-
present
Confident No Edit
125
Early Qing
-
present
Confident No Edit
126
Tang Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
127
Tang Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
128
Shuar - Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
129
Shuar - Ecuadorian
-
absent
Confident No Edit
130
Naqada I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
131
Naqada II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
132
Yehuda
-
present
Inferred No Edit
133
Ottoman Emirate
-
present
Confident No Edit
134
Ottoman Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
135
Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Late
-
present
Confident No Edit
136
Yemen - Qasimid Dynasty
-
absent
Confident No Edit
137
Egypt - New Kingdom Ramesside Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
138
Akan - Pre-Ashanti
-
present
Inferred No Edit
139
Susa II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
140
Susa III
-
present
Inferred No Edit
141
Russian Empire, Romanov Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
142
Russian Empire, Romanov Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
143
Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
144
Ashanti Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
145
Iban - Pre-Brooke
-
present
Confident No Edit
146
Iban - Brooke Raj and Colonial
-
present
Confident No Edit
147
Early A'chik
-
absent
Confident No Edit
148
Icelandic Commonwealth
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
149
Papal States - Medieval Period I
-
present
Confident No Edit
150
Late A'chik
-
present
Confident No Edit
151
Elam - Awan Dynasty I
-
present
Inferred No Edit
152
Elam - Kidinuid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
153
Elam - Igihalkid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
154
Elam II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
155
Elam III
-
present
Inferred No Edit
156
Parthian Empire I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
157
Monte Alban II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
158
Parthian Empire II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
159
Elam - Early Sukkalmah
-
present
Inferred No Edit
160
Elam - Late Sukkalmah
-
present
Inferred No Edit
161
Lombard Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
162
Us Reconstruction-Progressive
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
163
Japan - Middle Jomon
-
present
Inferred No Edit
164
Kansai - Yayoi Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
165
Classical Angkor
-
present
Confident No Edit
166
Early Angkor
-
present
Confident No Edit
167
Late Angkor
-
present
Confident No Edit
168
Early Mongols
-
absent
Confident No Edit
169
Early Monte Alban I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
170
Monte Alban Late I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
171
Monte Alban III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
172
Monte Alban IIIB and IV
-
absent
Confident No Edit
173
Archaic Basin of Mexico
-
present
Confident No Edit
174
Epiclassic Basin of Mexico
-
present
Confident No Edit
175
Early Formative Basin of Mexico
-
present
Confident No Edit
176
Middle Formative Basin of Mexico
-
present
Confident No Edit
177
Initial Formative Basin of Mexico
-
present
Confident No Edit
178
Middle Postclassic Basin of Mexico
-
present
Confident No Edit
179
Oaxaca - Rosario
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
180
Oaxaca - Tierras Largas
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
181
Antebellum US
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
182
Khwarezmid Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
183
Kingdom of Norway II
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
184
Cuzco - Late Intermediate I
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
185
Orokaiva - Pre-Colonial
-
present
Confident No Edit
186
Orokaiva - Colonial
-
present
Confident No Edit
187
Kachi Plain - Chalcolithic
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
188
Kachi Plain - Post-Urban Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
189
Kachi Plain - Pre-Urban Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
190
Sakha - Early
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
191
Byzantine Empire II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
192
Late Cappadocia
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
193
Hatti - New Kingdom
-
absent
Confident No Edit
194
Early Illinois Confederation
-
present
Confident No Edit
195
Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Early
-
present
Confident No Edit
196
Foys
-
present
Confident No Edit
197
Plantagenet England
-
present
Confident No Edit
198
Chaco Canyon - Late Bonito phase
-
present
Confident No Edit
199
Austria - Habsburg Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
200
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
201
Saffarid Caliphate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit