Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Hierarchical Complexity

Settlement Hierarchy

Talking about hierarchical complexity, settlement hierarchy records (in levels) the hierarchy of not just settlement sizes, but also their complexity as reflected in different roles they play within the (quasi)polity. as settlements become more populous they acquire more complex functions: transportational (e.g. port); economic (e.g. market); administrative (e.g. storehouse, local government building); cultural (e.g. theatre); religious (e.g. temple), utilitarian (e.g. hospital), monumental (e.g. statues, plazas). example: (1) large city (monumental structures, theatre, market, hospital, central government buildings) (2) city (market, theatre, regional government buildings) (3) large town (market, administrative buildings) (4) town (administrative buildings, storehouse)) (5) village (shrine) (6) hamlet (residential only). in the narrative paragraph explain the different levels and list their functions. provide a (crude) estimate of population sizes. for example, large town (market, temple, administrative buildings): 2,000-5,000 inhabitants.   (See here)
Contributors:

Variable Definition
Polity The Seshat Polity ID
Year(s) The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE]
Tag [Evidenced, Disputed, Suspected, Inferred, Unknown]
Verified A Seshat Expert has approved this piece of data.

Variable Definition
settlement_hierarchy_from The lower range of settlement hierarchy for a polity.
settlement_hierarchy_to The upper range of settlement hierarchy for a polity.

# Polity Year(s) Settlement Hierarchy from Settlement Hierarchy to Description   Edit
121
(Konya Plain - Ceramic Neolithic)
Full Year Range of Konya Plain - Ceramic Neolithic is assumed.
[-7000, -6600]
1
1
None
122
(Konya Plain - Early Neolithic)
Full Year Range of Konya Plain - Early Neolithic is assumed.
[-9600, -7000]
1
1
None
123
(Konya Plain - Late Neolithic)
Full Year Range of Konya Plain - Late Neolithic is assumed.
[-6600, -6000]
1
1
None
124
(Ottoman Empire III)
Full Year Range of Ottoman Empire III is assumed.
[1683, 1839]
6
6
None
125
(Early Illinois Confederation)
Full Year Range of Early Illinois Confederation is assumed.
[1640, 1717]
1
3
None
126
(Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Early)
Full Year Range of Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Early is assumed.
[1566, 1713]
2
2
None
127
(Late Shang)
Full Year Range of Late Shang is assumed.
[-1250, -1045]
3
3
None
128
(Elam - Late Sukkalmah)
Full Year Range of Elam - Late Sukkalmah is assumed.
[-1700, -1500]
3
5
None
129
(Sasanid Empire II)
Full Year Range of Sasanid Empire II is assumed.
[488, 642]
6
6
None
130
(Longshan)
Full Year Range of Longshan is assumed.
[-3000, -1900]
3
4
None
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