Home Region: Iran (Southwest Asia)

Elam II

743 BCE 647 BCE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 ir_neo_elam_2 / IrNElm2

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General Description

Our Neo-Elamite II period runs from 743 BCE, when the Elamite king Humban-nikash I came to the throne (according to the Babylonian Chronicle), ^[1] to 647 BCE, the date of the invasion of Elam and sack of Susa by the Neo-Assyrian king Ashurbanipal. ^[2] By that time, the Elamite civilization had occupied the highlands of the south-western Iranian plateau and the fertile lowlands of the Susiana plain for almost two millennia.
Population and political organization
The accession of King Humban-nikash I in the 8th century marks the re-emergence of Elam from the ’obscure’ phase of its history: there is an almost complete lack of written evidence for Elamite society, politics and history between c. 1100 and 743 BCE. ^[3] ^[4] During the Neo-Elamite II period, in contrast, a combination of archaeological evidence and both local and Mesopotamian written sources has provided historians with a better (if not comprehensive) understanding of Elamite political organization and key events affecting the polity.
The Elamite king exercised power from his seat at Susa through a series of high officials, most of whom were related to him. ^[5] A governmental body called the ’elders of Elam’, also attested from the Middle Elamite period, exercised independent executive power, perhaps indicating that there were institutional checks on the king’s authority. ^[6] However, the Neo-Elamite monarchy was unstable and fell prey to frequent coups d’état. ^[7] This instability was exacerbated by Neo-Assyrian interference, especially after Ashurbanipal began his Elamite campaigns in 653 BCE. ^[8] It is likely that Elam in this period sometimes functioned as a centralized state but at other times was split into smaller, autonomous kingdoms. ^[9]
Secure population estimates for the area under Elamite control in this period are lacking.

[1]: (Potts 2004, 263) Potts, D. T. 2004. The Archaeology of Elam: Formation and Transformation of an Ancient Iranian State. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/WDUEEBGQ.

[2]: (Álvarez-Mon, Garrison and Stronach 2011, 10) Álvarez-Mon, Javier, Mark B. Garrison, and David Stronach. 2011. "Introduction." In Elam and Persia, edited by Javier Álvarez-Mon and Mark B. Garrison, 1-32. Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/WF4UWMWH.

[3]: (Liverani 2014, 526) Liverani, Marco. 2014. The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Translated by Soraia Tabatabai. Abingdon: Routledge. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/7DRZQS5Q.

[4]: (Amiet, Chevalier and Carter 1992, 13) Amiet, Pierre, Nicole Chevalier, and Elizabeth Carter. 1992. "Susa in the Ancient Near East." In The Royal City of Susa: Ancient Near Eastern Treasures in the Louvre, edited by Prudence O. Harper, Joan Aruz, and Françoise Tallon, 1-24. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/9KQATXPQ.

[5]: (Liverani 2014, 529) Liverani, Marco. 2014. The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Translated by Soraia Tabatabai. Abingdon: Routledge. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/7DRZQS5Q.

[6]: (Henkelman 2008, 17) Henkelman, Wouter. 2008. The Other Gods Who Are: Studies in Elamite-Iranian Acculturation Based on the Persepolis Fortification Texts. Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/T6UFW9CW.

[7]: (Carter and Stolper 1984, 47) Carter, Elizabeth, and Matthew W. Stolper. 1984. Elam: Surveys of Political History and Archaeology. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/2SDF8S3B.

[8]: (Potts 2012, 46) Potts, Daniel T. 2012. "The Elamites." In The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History, edited by Touraj Daryaee, 37-56. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/BEAERFCW.

[9]: (Liverani 2014, 530) Liverani, Marco. 2014. The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. Translated by Soraia Tabatabai. Abingdon: Routledge. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/7DRZQS5Q.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

3 Capital

1 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Peak Years

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

2 Suprapolity Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

1 Polity Succession

2 Degree of Centralization

Language

2 Linguistic Family

2 Language

Religion

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale

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

Transport Infrastructure

1 Road

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 Lists Tables and Classification

Information / Money

1 Precious Metal

1 Paper Currency

1 Indigenous Coin

1 Foreign Coin

1 Article

Information / Postal System

1 Postal Station

1 General Postal Service

2 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

7 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2) was in:
(743 BCE 647 BCE)	Susiana

Home NGA: Susiana

General Variables

Identity and Location Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	39 S	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Original Name	Elam	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Capital	Susa	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Capital	Madaktu	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Capital	Hidalu	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Alternative Name	Elam - Neo-Elamite II	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Peak Years	[743 BCE ➜ 717 BCE]
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Duration	[743 BCE ➜ 647 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	alliance with [---]	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Suprapolity Relations	vassalage to [---]	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Neo-Assyrian Empire	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Preceding Entity	continuity; Elam - Neo-Elamite I [continuity] Update here
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Degree of Centralization	unitary state	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Degree of Centralization	confederated state	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Language Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	language isolate	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Linguistic Family	Indo-European	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Language	Elamite	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Language	native Iranian languages	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Religion Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

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

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Polity Territory	[300,000 to 340,000] km²	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Polity Population	- Undecided	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	4	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Religious Level	- Undecided	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Military Level	4	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Administrative Level	[3 to 5]	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Professions Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Professional Military Officer	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Merit Promotion	Absent Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Examination System	Absent Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Law Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Judge	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Court	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Irrigation System	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Bridge	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Information / Writing System Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Script	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Mnemonic Device	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Lists Tables and Classification	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Information / Money Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Precious Metal	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Paper Currency	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Article	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Information / Postal System Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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General Postal Service	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Courier	Present Uncertain	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Courier	Absent Uncertain	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

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

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moat	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Ditch	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Long Wall	absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Military use of Metals Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Iron	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Copper	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Bronze	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Projectiles Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Sling	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Self Bow	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Javelin	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Composite Bow	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Handheld weapons Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Sword	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Spear	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Polearm	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Dagger	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Battle Axe	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Elephant	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Donkey	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Camel	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Armor Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Shield	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Plate Armor	Absent Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Limb Protection	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Absent Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Helmet	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Breastplate	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Naval technology Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Unknown Suspected	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Present Inferred	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Present	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Absent	743 BCE 647 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Elam II (ir_neo_elam_2)

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