Home Region: Iran (Southwest Asia)

Pre-Ceramic Period

7800 BCE 7200 BCE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 ir_susiana_pre_ceramic / IrPrCer

Preceding Entity:

No Polity found. Add one here.

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

7200 BCE 7000 BCE Formative Period (ir_susiana_formative) [None]

General Description

"The chronological position of the Chogha Bonut Aceramic period vis-a-vis the Buz Murdeh phase in Deh Luran has theoretical implications in terms of the occupation of the lowland on the eve of domestication. However, the paucity of excavated materials dating to the initial phases of the Neolithic prevents us from proposing a chronological framework without the use of radiocarbon dating. Nevertheless, comparative analyses of the pottery sequences from the early villages in Susiana and Deh Luran indicate that, at least in southwestern Iran, pottery manufacture began earlier in Susiana than it did in Deh Luran and continued to influence Deh Luran for several millennia. Moreover, the culture-specific T-shaped figurines, so characteristic of the early Neolithic sites in western southwestern Iran (Sarab, Chogha Bonut, Chogha Mish, Tappeh Ali Kosh) and northeastern Iraq (Jarmo), occur from the beginning of the occupation at Chogha Bonut but appear later in the Mohammad Jaffar phase at Tappeh Ali Kosh. Admittedly, such a conclusion is based on uncertain grounds. It is perfectly possible that Chogha Bonut and Tappeh Ali Kosh are contemporary, but given the present evidence from Chogha Bonut, it seems highly unlikely that Tappeh Ali Kosh, or any other early Neolithic sites in Iran (with the possible exception of Tappeh Asiab) would be earlier. The implication is that during the eighth millennium B.C., the environmental conditions were favorable in Iran (if not the whole Near East) to allow the establishment of early villages in a number of environmental niches suitable for the transition from collecting and hunting food to producing it." ^[1]
"The Aceramic Phase: Initial Colonization of Lowland Susiana. The earliest, basal levels at Čoḡā Bonut that did not produce any ceramic vessels comprise the initial Aceramic phase. In this phase, the early settlers of the Susiana plain chose to settle on top of a low natural hill surrounded by shallow marshes at an elevation where dry farming was possible. Even today, when the region is much drier than it was in early Neolithic times, dry agriculture is still practiced as supplement. The early farmers of lowland Susiana cultivated wheat, barley, and lentils and had domesticated sheep, goats, pigs, and dogs. Hunting and gathering supplemented this mixed subsistence economy. During this initial phase, the chipped stone industry and manufacture of stone vessels were highly developed. In the limited exposure of the 1996 excavations, no traces of solid architecture were found, but fragmentary pieces of straw-tempered mud bricks suggest the existence of solid architecture. Most probably, the early inhabitants of this site came from the highlands, for there is a great similarity between the chipped stone industry, clay and stone figurines, and tokens of Coga Bonut, on the one side, and those found at the early sites in the piedmonts of the Zagros Mountains, on the other." ^[2]

[1]: (Alizadeh 2003, 8)

[2]: (Alizadeh 2009, Encyclopedia Iranica Online, http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/coga-bonut-archaeological-site)

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Polity Succession

1 Degree of Centralization

Language

1 Linguistic Family

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

1 Population of the Largest Settlement

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 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

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 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 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	Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic) was in:
(7800 BCE 7201 BCE)	Susiana

Home NGA: Susiana

General Variables

Identity and Location Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	39 R	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Original Name	Pre-Ceramic Period	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Alternative Name	Bus Mordeh	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Duration	[7800 BCE ➜ 7200 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Formative Period	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Succeeding Entity 7200 BCE 7000 BCE	Formative Period (ir_susiana_formative) [None]
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Degree of Centralization	quasi-polity	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Language Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	NO_VALUE_ON_WIKI	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Religion Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

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

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[250 to 500] people	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Polity Population	- Undecided	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	1	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Religious Level	0	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Military Level	1	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Administrative Level	1	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Professions Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Examination System	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Law Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Judge	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Court	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Irrigation System	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Food Storage Site	Present	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Port	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Canal	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Bridge	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

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

Information / Writing System Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Script	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Mnemonic Device	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Sacred Text	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Religious Literature	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Practical Literature	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Philosophy	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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History	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Fiction	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Calendar	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Information / Money Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Paper Currency	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Article	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Information / Postal System Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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General Postal Service	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Courier	Absent Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

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

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moat	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Long Wall	absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Military use of Metals Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Iron	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Copper	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Bronze	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Projectiles Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Sling	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Self Bow	Present Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Javelin	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Composite Bow	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Handheld weapons Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Sword	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Spear	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Polearm	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Dagger	Present Inferred	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Battle Axe	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Elephant	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Donkey	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Camel	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Armor Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Shield	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Plate Armor	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Helmet	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Naval technology Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Unknown Suspected	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Unknown	7800 BCE 7200 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Pre-Ceramic Period (ir_susiana_pre_ceramic)

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