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
51
(Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate III)
Full Year Range of Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate III is assumed.
[1412, 1517]
6
7
None
52
(Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom)
Full Year Range of Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom is assumed.
[-2650, -2350]
4
5
None
53
(Ptolemaic Kingdom II)
Full Year Range of Ptolemaic Kingdom II is assumed.
[-217, -30]
6
6
None
54
(Egypt - Thebes-Libyan Period)
Full Year Range of Egypt - Thebes-Libyan Period is assumed.
[-1069, -747]
3
5
None
55
(Egypt - Tulunid-Ikhshidid Period)
Full Year Range of Egypt - Tulunid-Ikhshidid Period is assumed.
[868, 969]
6
6
None
56
(Chuuk - Early Truk)
Full Year Range of Chuuk - Early Truk is assumed.
[1775, 1886]
1
1
None
57
(Beaker Culture)
Full Year Range of Beaker Culture is assumed.
[-3200, -2000]
1
2
None
58
(Carolingian Empire I)
Full Year Range of Carolingian Empire I is assumed.
[752, 840]
3
3
None
59
(Early Merovingian)
Full Year Range of Early Merovingian is assumed.
[481, 543]
4
4
None
60
(Late Xiongnu)
Full Year Range of Late Xiongnu is assumed.
[-60, 100]
2
3
None
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