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
231
(Mughal Empire)
Full Year Range of Mughal Empire is assumed.
[1526, 1858]
4
4
None
232
(Satavahana Empire)
Full Year Range of Satavahana Empire is assumed.
[-100, 203]
4
4
None
233
(Mahajanapada era)
Full Year Range of Mahajanapada era is assumed.
[-600, -324]
4
4
None
234
(Magadha - Maurya Empire)
Full Year Range of Magadha - Maurya Empire is assumed.
[-324, -187]
4
4
None
235
(West Burkina Faso Yellow II)
Full Year Range of West Burkina Faso Yellow II is assumed.
[501, 700]
1
1
None
236
(Toutswe)
Full Year Range of Toutswe is assumed.
[700, 1250]
3
3
None
237
(Vijayanagara Empire)
Full Year Range of Vijayanagara Empire is assumed.
[1336, 1646]
3
4
None
238
(Abbasid Caliphate I)
Full Year Range of Abbasid Caliphate I is assumed.
[750, 946]
6
6
None
239
(Amorite Babylonia)
Full Year Range of Amorite Babylonia is assumed.
[-2000, -1600]
4
4
None
240
(Susiana - Muhammad Jaffar)
Full Year Range of Susiana - Muhammad Jaffar is assumed.
[-7000, -6000]
1
1
None
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