Home Region: North China (East Asia)

Jin

780 BCE 404 BCE

D G SC WF R CC

EQ 2020 cn_jin_spring_and_autumn / CnJinSA

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

1122 BCE 771 BCE Western Zhou (cn_western_zhou_dyn) [elite replacement]

Succeeding Entity:

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General Description

The Spring and Autumn period was a period of the Eastern Zhou dynasty in which strong vassal states competed for dominance. ^[1] When King You of Zhou was killed by an allied force of Quan Rong barbarians and the state of Shen, King Ping moved the capital to Luoyang in 770 BCE and founded the Eastern Zhou dynasty. ^[2] The weak Eastern Zhou state was responsible for diplomacy and rituals, while governmental authority lay in the hands of large vassal states. ^[1] There were 15 major vassal states in the Spring and Autumn period, but by the mid-7th century BCE the region was dominated by the Qi, Jin, Qin, and Chu states. ^[3] The period is marked by constant warfare between different states. ^[4]
The Spring and Autumn period takes its name from the Confucian book Chunqiu, which chronicles events from 722 to 429 BCE. ^[1] During this time, the moral values of Confucius helped bring China into the ’Axial Age’. ^[2] The use of bronze agricultural tools became more widespread in China and there is evidence of the use of steel and iron in the middle and late Spring and Autumn period. ^[4] Coinage appeared in this period, and there are some indications that individuals could own land. ^[5]
The Jin state dominated the Spring and Autumn period from 636 to 628 BCE. Duke Xian of Jin (676-651 BCE) conquered 16 small states in modern Shanxi. ^[3] His son, Duke Wen, was given the title of ba (’senior’ or ’hegemon’) ^[6] by the Zhou king after defeating the encroaching state of Chu in 632 BCE. ^[3]
The Jin state covered an estimated 160,000 square kilometres. The state was located in modern Shanxi, ^[7] and extended east and north from the Yellow River. ^[8]
Population and political organization
The multi-state Spring and Autumn system changed the feudal structure of China. In the Western Zhou period, the political elite was made up of kings, feudal lords, and hereditary ministers. ^[4] In the Spring and Autumn period, a class of knights and warriors became the political ruling class. ^[4] Intellectuals served as both government officials and ’cultural carriers’. ^[9] States became more centralized as the central government continued to weaken. ^[4]
In the ba system, first institutionalized in 651 BCE, the Zhou king bestowed the title of ba on the ruler of the vassal state that represented the Zhou court in war. ^[4] ^[10] However, this system of political organization began to weaken in the 6th century BCE. ^[4] ^[10]
Substantiated estimates for the population of the Jin state are lacking.

[1]: (Encyclopedia Britannica n.d.) “Spring and Autumn Period.” Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/event/Spring-and-Autumn-Period. Accessed June 5, 2017. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/Z2EVWH4P.

[2]: (Hsu 1999, 545) Hsu, C-y. 1999. “The Spring and Autumn Period,” in M. Loewe and E. L. Shaughnessy, eds. The Cambridge History of Ancient China From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 545-86. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/MMECH3VW.

[3]: (Hsu 1999, 559) Hsu, C-y. 1999. “The Spring and Autumn Period,” in M. Loewe and E. L. Shaughnessy, eds. The Cambridge History of Ancient China From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 545-86. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/MMECH3VW.

[4]: (Roberts 1999, 13) Roberts, John A.G. 1999. A History of China. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/H9D8H5E9.

[5]: (Roberts 1999, 14) Roberts, John A.G. 1999. A History of China. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/H9D8H5E9.

[6]: (Lewis 2000, 365) Lewis, Mark Edward. 2000. “The City-State in Spring-and-Autumn China.” In A Comparative Study of Thirty City-State Cultures: An Investigation Conducted by the Copenhagen Polis Centre, edited by Mogens Herman Hansen. Copenhagen: The Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/DXXZV8CS.

[7]: (Theobald 2010) Theobald, Ulrich. 2010. “The Feudal State of China.” Chinaknowledge.de http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Zhou/rulers-jin.html Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/8735F2AW.

[8]: (Eno 2010) Eno, Robert. 2010. Spring and Autumn China. Indiana University, History G380, Class Text Readings. http://www.iub.edu/~g380/1.7-Spring_Autumn_Narrative-2010.pdf Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/32FGZ2UI.

[9]: (Hsu 1999, 549) Hsu, C-y. 1999. “The Spring and Autumn Period,” in M. Loewe and E. L. Shaughnessy, eds. The Cambridge History of Ancient China From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 545-86. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/MMECH3VW.

[10]: (Hsu 1999, 562) Hsu, C-y. 1999. “The Spring and Autumn Period,” in M. Loewe and E. L. Shaughnessy, eds. The Cambridge History of Ancient China From the Origins of Civilization to 221 BC. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 545-86. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/MMECH3VW.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

3 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

Political and Cultural Relations

3 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

3 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

1 Religion Genus

1 Religion Family

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Polity Territory

Hierarchical Complexity

1 Settlement Hierarchy

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 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

1 Entertainment Building

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 Non Phonetic Writing

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

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications

1 Stone Walls Non 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

2 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 Donkey

1 Dog

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

15 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn) was in:
(794 BCE 489 BCE)	Middle Yellow River Valley

Home NGA: Middle Yellow River Valley

General Variables

Identity and Location Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	50 S	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Original Name	Jin	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Capital	Jiang	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Alternative Name	Chin	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Alternative Name	Tang	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Alternative Name	Chunqiu	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

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

Political and Cultural Relations Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	alliance with [---]	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Suprapolity Relations	cn_western_zhou_dyn alliance with cn_jin_spring_and_autumn	1122 BCE 771 BCE
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Suprapolity Relations	vassalage to [---]	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Supracultural Entity	China	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Zhao	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Wei	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Qin	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Scale of Supracultural Interaction	9,000,000 km²	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	elite migration	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Preceding Entity 1122 BCE 771 BCE	Western Zhou (cn_western_zhou_dyn) [elite replacement]
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Degree of Centralization	loose	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Language Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Sino-Tibetan	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Language	Chinese	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Religion Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Religion Genus	Ancient East Asian Religion	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Religion Family	Chinese Folk Religion	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Polity Territory	160,000 km²	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Military Level	5	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Administrative Level	4	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Professions Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Professional Military Officer	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Merit Promotion	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Examination System	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Law Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Judge	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Court	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Irrigation System	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Food Storage Site	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Uncoded Undecided	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Entertainment Building	Uncoded Undecided	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Port	Uncoded Undecided	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Canal	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Bridge	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Unknown Suspected	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Information / Writing System Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Script	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Mnemonic Device	Uncoded Undecided	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Sacred Text	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Religious Literature	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Practical Literature	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Philosophy	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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History	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Fiction	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Calendar	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Information / Money Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Precious Metal	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Paper Currency	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Absent Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Article	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Information / Postal System Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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General Postal Service	Absent Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Courier	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

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

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moat	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Ditch	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Long Wall	absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Military use of Metals Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Present Uncertain	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Steel	Absent Uncertain	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Iron	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Copper	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Bronze	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Projectiles Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Sling	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Self Bow	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Javelin	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Composite Bow	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Handheld weapons Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Sword	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Spear	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Polearm	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Dagger	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Battle Axe	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Donkey	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Dog	Absent	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Armor Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Shield	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Absent Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Plate Armor	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Limb Protection	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Helmet	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Breastplate	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Naval technology Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Unknown Suspected	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Absent Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent Inferred Disputed	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present Inferred Disputed	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present Inferred Disputed	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present Disputed	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Absent Inferred Disputed	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent Inferred	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Unknown Suspected	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Present Inferred Disputed	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent Inferred Disputed	780 BCE 404 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Jin (cn_jin_spring_and_autumn)

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