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
1
(Naqada I)
3800 BCE 3651 BCE
1
1
None
2
(Susa II)
3800 BCE 3501 BCE
3
3
None
3
(Naqada I)
3650 BCE 3551 BCE
2
2
None
4
(Susa II)
3500 BCE 3101 BCE
4
4
None
5
(Prepalatial Crete)
3000 BCE 2200 BCE
1
2
None
6
(Prepalatial Crete)
2200 BCE 1900 BCE
1
3
None
7
(Initial Formative Basin of Mexico)
2000 BCE 1500 BCE
1
1
None
8
(Initial Formative Basin of Mexico)
1500 BCE 1201 BCE
2
2
None
9
(Deccan - Iron Age)
1200 BCE 1001 BCE
1
1
None
10
(Deccan - Iron Age)
1000 BCE 601 BCE
1
2
None
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