Home Region: Eastern South Asia (South Asia)

Late A'chik

1867 CE 1956 CE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 in_achik_2 / InGaroL

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

[elite migration; Mechpara and Karaibari Zamindars] [elite replacement] Update here

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

General Description

The Garo Hills, located in Meghalaya in northeast India, have long been inhabited by the A’chik. The term ’Garo’ is of unclear origin, but is believed to have originated with the neighbouring Boro people. ^[1] The Garo people refer to themselves as the A’chik (’hill’) or A’chik Manderang (’hill people’). ^[2]
It is unknown precisely when the A’chik settled in their present location, but it is believed that they migrated to the hills from Tibet. ^[3] The A’chik had little contact with their neighbours before 1775, when local zamindars (Indian land-owning nobility) led expeditions into the Garo Hills. ^[3]
1788 saw the first contact with the British, who began to occupy the district in 1867. ^[3] Despite their initial resistance, the A’chik were overmatched by British firearms, and the British established full administrative control of the region around 1873. ^[4] The region remained a part of British India until Indian independence in 1947.
Population and political organization
During the precolonial period, the A’chik lacked elaborate political organization. The most important social unit was the matrilineal clan, the machong. ^[5] The chief (nokma) had relatively little power beyond religious functions and resolving minor disputes under the guidance of the village elders. ^[6]
Once the region was under British control, executive offices were simply superimposed onto A’chik structures. The British created the office of laskar, with limited power over about ten villages. ^[7] The A’chik were still left to settle their own disputes through the nokma, but they gained the right to appeal the nokma’s decisions to the court of laskars. ^[7]
Population estimates are unavailable for the precolonial period. The British colonial official and statistician W. W. Hunter estimated that the population of the Garo Hills was 80,000 in 1872. ^[8]

[1]: (Sangma 1995, 37) Sangma, Mihir N., and Milton S. Sangma. 1995. “The Garos: The Name, Meanings, and Its Origin.” In Hill Societies, Their Modernisation: A Study of North East with Special Reference to Garo Hills, 32-41. New Delhi: Omsons Publications. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/M5IS3SBN.

[2]: (Sangma 1995, 33) Sangma, Mihir N., and Milton S. Sangma. 1995. “The Garos: The Name, Meanings, and Its Origin.” In Hill Societies, Their Modernisation: A Study of North East with Special Reference to Garo Hills, 32-41. New Delhi: Omsons Publications. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/M5IS3SBN.

[3]: (Roy 1999, 2) Roy, Sankar Kumar. 1999. “Culture Summary: Garo.” eHRAF World Cultures. http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=ar05-000. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TXQNUE8P.

[4]: (Majumdar 1978, 30) Majumdar, Dhirendra Narayan. 1978. Culture Change in Two Garo Villages. Calcutta: Anthropological Survey of India, Govt. of India. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TZXMWMN5.

[5]: (Roy 1999, 6) Roy, Sankar Kumar. 1999. “Culture Summary: Garo.” eHRAF World Cultures. http://ehrafworldcultures.yale.edu/document?id=ar05-000. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TXQNUE8P.

[6]: (Majumdar 1978, 22) Majumdar, Dhirendra Narayan. 1978. Culture Change in Two Garo Villages. Calcutta: Anthropological Survey of India, Govt. of India. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/TZXMWMN5.

[7]: (Marak 1997, 52) Marak, Kumie R. 1997. Traditions and Modernity in Matrilineal Tribal Society. New Delhi: Inter-India Publications. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/CS3PXEIH.

[8]: (Kar 1995, 54) Kar, Biman. 1995. “Changing A’chik-Mande: Need for Further Research.” In Hill Societies, Their Modernisation: A Study of North East with Special Reference to Garo Hills, edited by Milton S. Sangma, 52-58. New Delhi: Omsons Publications. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/W7PJ27C6.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

2 Original Name

1 Capital

2 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Scale of Supracultural Interaction

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

1 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

1 Military Level

1 Administrative Level

Professions

1 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

1 Professional Military Officer

Bureaucracy Characteristics

1 Specialized Government Building

1 Merit Promotion

1 Full Time Bureaucrat

1 Examination System

Law

1 Professional Lawyer

1 Judge

1 Formal Legal Code

1 Court

Specialized Buildings: polity owned

1 Market

1 Irrigation System

1 Food Storage Site

1 Drinking Water Supply System

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

1 Port

1 Canal

1 Bridge

Special-purpose Sites

1 Mines or Quarry

Information / Writing System

1 Written Record

1 Script

1 Phonetic Alphabetic Writing

1 Nonwritten Record

1 Mnemonic Device

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

1 Scientific Literature

1 Sacred Text

1 Religious Literature

1 Practical Literature

1 Philosophy

1 Lists Tables and Classification

1 History

1 Fiction

1 Calendar

Information / Money

1 Token

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

1 Courier

Information / Measurement System

1 Length Measurement System

1 Area Measurement System

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Wooden Palisade

1 Stone Walls Non Mortared

1 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

1 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

1 Ditch

1 Complex Fortification

1 Long Wall

Military use of Metals

1 Steel

1 Iron

1 Copper

1 Bronze

Projectiles

1 Tension Siege Engine

1 Sling Siege Engine

1 Sling

1 Self Bow

1 Javelin

1 Handheld Firearm

1 Gunpowder Siege Artillery

1 Crossbow

1 Composite Bow

1 Atlatl

Handheld weapons

1 War Club

1 Sword

1 Spear

1 Polearm

1 Dagger

1 Battle Axe

Animals used in warfare

1 Horse

1 Elephant

1 Donkey

1 Dog

1 Camel

Armor

1 Wood Bark Etc

1 Shield

1 Scaled Armor

1 Plate Armor

1 Limb Protection

1 Leather Cloth

1 Laminar Armor

1 Helmet

1 Chainmail

1 Breastplate

Naval technology

1 Specialized Military Vessel

1 Small Vessels Canoes Etc

1 Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.

Religion Variables Coding in Progress.

Crisis Consequence Cases

1 Crisis Consequence

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events

3 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Late A'chik (in_achik_2) was in:
(1868 CE 1956 CE)	Garo Hills

Home NGA: Garo Hills

General Variables

Identity and Location Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	46 R	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Original Name	A’chik	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Original Name	Mande	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Capital	Tura	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Alternative Name	Mande	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Alternative Name	Late Garo	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Temporal Bounds Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[1867 CE ➜ 1900 CE]
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Duration	[1867 CE ➜ 1956 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	vassalage to [---]	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Supracultural Entity	South Asia	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Republic of India	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	4,771,577 km²	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	elite migration	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Preceding Entity	elite migration; Mechpara and Karaibari Zamindars [elite replacement] Update here
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Degree of Centralization	loose	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Language Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Sino-Tibetan	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Language	A’chik	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Religion Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[7,000 to 9,000] people	1956 CE
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Polity Territory	8,000 km²	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Polity Population	138,000 people	1900 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	3	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Religious Level	1	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Military Level	2	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Administrative Level	2	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Professions Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Uncoded Undecided	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Merit Promotion	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Examination System	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Law Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Judge	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Uncoded Undecided	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Court	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Irrigation System	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Food Storage Site	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Port	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Canal	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Bridge	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Information / Writing System Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Script	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Sacred Text	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Religious Literature	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Practical Literature	Unknown Suspected	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Philosophy	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Unknown Suspected	1867 CE 1956 CE
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History	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Fiction	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Calendar	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Information / Money Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Precious Metal	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Paper Currency	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Foreign Coin	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Article	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Information / Postal System Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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General Postal Service	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Courier	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Information / Measurement System Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Length Measurement System	Uncoded Undecided	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Area Measurement System	Uncoded Undecided	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moat	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Fortified Camp	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Earth Rampart	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Ditch	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Complex Fortification	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Long Wall	absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Military use of Metals Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Iron	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Copper	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Bronze	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Projectiles Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Sling	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Self Bow	Unknown	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Javelin	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Crossbow	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Composite Bow	Unknown	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Atlatl	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Handheld weapons Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Sword	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Spear	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Polearm	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Dagger	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Battle Axe	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Animals used in warfare Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Elephant	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Donkey	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Dog	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Camel	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Armor Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Shield	Present	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Plate Armor	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Limb Protection	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Leather Cloth	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Helmet	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Chainmail	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Breastplate	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Naval technology Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred	1867 CE 1956 CE
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Human Sacrifice Late A'chik (in_achik_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More