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
181
(Ptolemaic Kingdom I)
Full Year Range of Ptolemaic Kingdom I is assumed.
[-305, -217]
6
6
None
182
(Egypt - Period of the Regions)
Full Year Range of Egypt - Period of the Regions is assumed.
[-2150, -2016]
4
5
None
183
(Egypt - Saite Period)
Full Year Range of Egypt - Saite Period is assumed.
[-664, -525]
4
5
None
184
(Egypt - Thebes-Hyksos Period)
Full Year Range of Egypt - Thebes-Hyksos Period is assumed.
[-1720, -1567]
4
5
None
185
(Samanid Empire)
Full Year Range of Samanid Empire is assumed.
[819, 999]
4
5
None
186
(Plantagenet England)
Full Year Range of Plantagenet England is assumed.
[1154, 1485]
4
4
None
187
(Ostrogothic Kingdom)
Full Year Range of Ostrogothic Kingdom is assumed.
[489, 554]
6
6
None
188
(Axum I)
Full Year Range of Axum I is assumed.
[-149, 349]
4
4
None
189
(Kachi Plain - Chalcolithic)
Full Year Range of Kachi Plain - Chalcolithic is assumed.
[-4000, -3200]
2
2
None
190
(Yemen - Qasimid Dynasty)
Full Year Range of Yemen - Qasimid Dynasty is assumed.
[1637, 1805]
3
3
None
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