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
11
(Deccan - Iron Age)
600 BCE 301 BCE
2
2
None
12
(Early Roman Republic)
500 BCE
2
2
None
13
(Early Roman Republic)
400 BCE
2
2
None
14
(Early Roman Republic)
300 BCE
5
5
None
15
(Neguanje)
250 CE 650 CE
1
1
None
16
(Monte Alban IIIB and IV)
500 CE 700 CE
3
3
None
17
(Neguanje)
650 CE 1050 CE
1
2
None
18
(Monte Alban IIIB and IV)
700 CE 900 CE
2
2
None
19
(Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian II)
900 CE 1000 CE
2
2
None
20
(Icelandic Commonwealth)
930 CE 1050 CE
1
1
None
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