Social Complexity Variables   Download All (.CSV)  Inconsistent Year Ranges
We have coded a total of 20,461 different values for 77 variables in 506 polities.
This section of Seshat provides a detailed exploration of the diverse aspects that characterize past polities' societal structures and advancements. It includes data on infrastructure like roads, bridges, and irrigation systems; administrative and governance systems such as courts, bureaucracies, and legal codes; and cultural and intellectual achievements, including writing systems, scientific literature, and sacred texts. This section also captures economic activities, including markets, trade emporia, and currency systems, as well as population dynamics and territorial extents. By coding these variables systematically, this section helps researchers analyze the development, complexity, and functionality of historical societies, offering a comprehensive view of how polities managed resources, facilitated communication, and maintained social order.
Range Present Partially coded Transitional Absent Suspected Unknown Unknown Uncoded To Be Coded
 464 coded records
 467 coded records
 492 coded records
 16 coded records
 474 coded records
 451 coded records
 351 coded records
Military Level RANGE   
 364 coded records
 381 coded records
 409 coded records
 388 coded records
 25 coded records
 0 coded records
 399 coded records
 330 coded records
Merit Promotion A/P/U/~   
 319 coded records
 407 coded records
Formal Legal Code A/P/U/~   
 413 coded records
Judge A/P/U/~   
 382 coded records
Court A/P/U/~   
 359 coded records
 327 coded records

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

Irrigation System A/P/U/~   
 402 coded records
 326 coded records
Market A/P/U/~   
 421 coded records
Food Storage Site A/P/U/~   
 375 coded records
Communal Building A/P/U/~   
 67 coded records
 86 coded records
Symbolic Building A/P/U/~   
 47 coded records
 33 coded records
 52 coded records
 9 coded records
 10 coded records
Road A/P/U/~   
 408 coded records
Bridge A/P/U/~   
 329 coded records
Canal A/P/U/~   
 315 coded records
Port A/P/U/~   
 369 coded records
Mines Or Quarry A/P/U/~   
 325 coded records
 69 coded records
Ceremonial Site A/P/U/~   
 58 coded records
Burial Site A/P/U/~   
 68 coded records
Trading Emporia A/P/U/~   
 62 coded records
Enclosure A/P/U/~   
 35 coded records
 8 coded records

Writing System

Mnemonic Device A/P/U/~   
 201 coded records
Nonwritten Record A/P/U/~   
 302 coded records
Written Record A/P/U/~   
 476 coded records
Script A/P/U/~   
 474 coded records
 292 coded records
 428 coded records

Kinds of Written Documents

 409 coded records
Calendar A/P/U/~   
 446 coded records
Sacred Text A/P/U/~   
 450 coded records
 466 coded records
 408 coded records
History A/P/U/~   
 396 coded records
Philosophy A/P/U/~   
 374 coded records
 388 coded records
Fiction A/P/U/~   
 399 coded records

Money

Article A/P/U/~   
 391 coded records
Token A/P/U/~   
 293 coded records
Precious Metal A/P/U/~   
 320 coded records
Foreign Coin A/P/U/~   
 367 coded records
Indigenous Coin A/P/U/~   
 424 coded records
Paper Currency A/P/U/~   
 378 coded records
 28 coded records
Store Of Wealth A/P/U/~   
 32 coded records

Postal System

Courier A/P/U/~   
 331 coded records
Postal Station A/P/U/~   
 299 coded records
 311 coded records
 16 coded records

Measurement System

 46 coded records
 35 coded records
 44 coded records
 60 coded records
 56 coded records
 17 coded records
 12 coded records