Home Region: Caribbean (South America and Caribbean)

Tairona

1050 CE 1524 CE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 co_tairona / CoTairo

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

250 CE 1050 CE Neguanje (co_neguanje) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

General Description

The name Tairona is generally used in reference to the indigenous groups of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (a mountain range that stretches along Colombia’s Caribbean coast) that came in contact with the Spanish in the sixteenth century, but it is also applied to the prehistoric societies that inhabited that same area, and which are mostly known through the artefacts they left behind. ^[1] Santiago Giraldo and Juana Saenz have recently estimated that the prehistoric Tairona phase started around 1050 and ended early in the sixteenth century, based on radiocarbon-dated goldwork and complete dated contexts. ^[2]
Population and political organization
At the time of the Spanish Conquest, the Tairona were organized into independent polities governed by a priestly class and a hierarchy of chiefs. ^[3] Most likely, this system began to emerge between the eleventh and the twelfth centuries, as suggested by the appearance of several new ceremonial buildings, new spaces dedicated to feasting activities, a general overhaul of the layout of settlements, and evidence for the expansion and intensification of agricultural activities. ^[4]
The population of a typical Tairona polity likely numbered in the hundreds of thousands, with conservative estimates of as much as 500,000 inhabitants. ^[5] ^[6] The largest settlements likely reached a population of a few hundred at the beginning of the Tairona phase, between a few hundred and 4,000 between the twelfth and the fourteenth centuries, and between 3,000 and 5,000 in the century immediately preceding the Spanish Conquest. ^[5] ^[7] ^[8] ^[9] ^[10] ^[11]

[1]: (Bray 2003, 301)

[2]: (Giraldo 2015, personal communication)

[3]: (Oyuela-Caycedo 2008, 423)

[4]: (Giraldo 2010, 283)

[5]: (Langebaek 2005, 25-7)

[6]: (Giraldo 2010, 57-58)

[7]: (Giraldo 2010, 22-23, 110-111)

[8]: (Giraldo 2014)

[9]: (Oyuela-Caycedo 2008, 419-423)

[10]: (Moore 2014, 395)

[11]: (Giraldo 2009, 25)

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

5 Capital

2 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Supracultural Entity

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

1 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

3 Population of the Largest Settlement

1 Polity Territory

2 Polity Population

Hierarchical Complexity

2 Settlement Hierarchy

1 Religious Level

2 Military Level

2 Administrative Level

Professions

3 Professional Soldier

1 Professional Priesthood

3 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

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 General Postal Service

Information / Measurement System

1 Other 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 Coding in Progress.

Power Transitions Coding in Progress.

Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Tairona (co_tairona) was in:
(1050 CE 1524 CE)	North Colombia

Home NGA: North Colombia

General Variables

Identity and Location Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	18 P	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Original Name	Tairona	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Capital	Pocigueica	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Capital	Taironaca	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Capital	Ciudad Perdida	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Capital	Pueblito	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Capital	Bonda	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Alternative Name	Tayrona	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Alternative Name	Late Period	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Temporal Bounds Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Duration	[1050 CE ➜ 1524 CE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	alliance with [---]	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Supracultural Entity	Chibchan region	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Succeeding Entity	Spanish Empire	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Preceding Entity 250 CE 1050 CE	Neguanje (co_neguanje) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	quasi-polity	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Language Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	Chibcha	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Language	Atanque	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Religion Tairona (co_tairona)

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

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[100 to 200] people	1100 CE
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Population of the Largest Settlement	[150 to 4,000] people	1150 CE 1399 CE
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Population of the Largest Settlement	[3,000 to 5,000] people	1400 CE 1524 CE
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Polity Territory	150 km²	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Polity Population	[1,087 to 2,174] people	1050 CE 1349 CE
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Polity Population	[7,200 to 8,000] people	1350 CE 1524 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[1 to 3]	1100 CE 1300 CE
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Settlement Hierarchy	[3 to 4]	1400 CE 1524 CE
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Religious Level	1	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Military Level	[1 to 3]	1100 CE 1400 CE
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Military Level	4	1450 CE 1524 CE
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Administrative Level	[1 to 2]	1100 CE 1400 CE
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Administrative Level	3	1450 CE 1524 CE
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Professions Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present Uncertain	1100 CE 1300 CE
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Professional Soldier	Absent Uncertain	1100 CE 1300 CE
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Professional Soldier	Present Inferred	1400 CE 1524 CE
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Professional Priesthood	Present Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present Uncertain	1100 CE 1300 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent Uncertain	1100 CE 1300 CE
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Professional Military Officer	Present Inferred	1400 CE 1524 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Merit Promotion	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Examination System	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Law Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Judge	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Formal Legal Code	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Irrigation System	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Food Storage Site	Present Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Present Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Port	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Canal	Uncoded Undecided	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Bridge	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Information / Writing System Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Script	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Nonwritten Record	Present Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Mnemonic Device	Uncoded Undecided	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Sacred Text	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Religious Literature	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Practical Literature	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Philosophy	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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History	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Fiction	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Calendar	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Information / Money Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Precious Metal	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Paper Currency	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Indigenous Coin	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Foreign Coin	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Article	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Information / Postal System Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
General Postal Service	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Information / Measurement System Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Other Measurement System	Uncoded Undecided	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moat	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Fortified Camp	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Earth Rampart	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Ditch	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Complex Fortification	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Long Wall	absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Military use of Metals Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Iron	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Copper	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Bronze	Present Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Projectiles Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Sling	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Self Bow	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Javelin	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Crossbow	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Composite Bow	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Atlatl	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Handheld weapons Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Sword	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Spear	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Polearm	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Dagger	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Battle Axe	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Animals used in warfare Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Elephant	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Donkey	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Dog	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Camel	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Armor Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Shield	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Plate Armor	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Leather Cloth	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Helmet	Absent Inferred	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Chainmail	Absent	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Naval technology Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Tairona (co_tairona)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Unknown Disputed	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Unknown Disputed	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Unknown Disputed	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Unknown	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Unknown Disputed	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Unknown Disputed	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Unknown Uncertain	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Unknown Disputed	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Unknown Disputed	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Unknown Disputed	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Unknown Disputed	1050 CE 1524 CE
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Human Sacrifice Tairona (co_tairona)

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