Home Region: Northeast Africa (Africa)

Egypt - Dynasty I

3100 BCE 2900 BCE

D G SC WF R

EQ 2020 eg_dynasty_1 / EgDyn1*

Preceding Entity: Add one more here.

3300 BCE 3100 BCE Egypt - Dynasty 0 (eg_naqada_3) [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.

2900 BCE 2687 BCE Egypt - Dynasty II (eg_dynasty_2) [continuity]

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General Description

The First Dynasty of Egypt (c. 3100‒2900 BCE) was a relatively geographically constricted ancient state located near the Nile delta of Egypt, which was first unified under a ruler called Menes. ^[1]
Population and political organization
Kings of the First Dynasty were buried in the royal cemetery in the Umm el-Qa’ab area at Abydos in Upper Egypt, where funerary enclosures and a mortuary cult supported an ideology of divine kingship. ^[2] However, it is believed that Memphis, downriver at the neck of the delta, was the main administrative centre because tombs of administrative officials have been discovered nearby. ^[3] Also known as the White Walls, ^[4] apparently after the colour of the palace enclosure walls, ^[5] Memphis probably had at least 6,000 residents at a population density of 193 per hectare. ^[6] The government of the Early Dynasties is thought to have developed significant divisions of labour and a more hierarchical structure under King Djer, who introduced permanent institutions, ^[7] although Egyptologist Hratch Papazian stresses that a true hierarchical bureaucracy emerged ’only during the latter parts of the Old Kingdom’. ^[8] Writing had been in use since the Protodynastic period (’Dynasty 0’, or the later Naqada periods), ^[9] when hieroglyphs were used for labels such as those found in the tomb of U-j at Abydos, dating to around 3150 BCE. ^[10]
Regional centres of the First Dynasty included Hierakonpolis, Abydos, and minor centres further south at Naga-el-Deir and Aswan. First-Dynasty Egypt was likely not yet divided into the clearly demarcated provinces, controlled by local governors, that we find in later periods. ^[11] There is no clear evidence for professional priests or large-scale religious organization, but there may have been temple compounds within settlements, serving different ritual functions from the funerary complexes located outside the towns. ^[12]
The Egyptian population during the Early Dynastic period is difficult to determine, but the archaeologist Bruce Trigger estimated that there could have been over 2 million people living in the Nile Valley at this time. ^[13]

[1]: (David and David 2002, 86) R. David and A. E. David. 2002. Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt. London: Routledge.

[2]: (Bard 2000, 41) Kathryn A. Bard. 2000. ’The Emergence of the Egyptian State (c. 3200-2686 BC)’, in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 57-82. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[3]: (Bard 2000, 64-65) Kathryn A. Bard. 2000. ’The Emergence of the Egyptian State (c. 3200-2686 BC)’, in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 57-82. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[4]: (Malek 2000, 104) Jaromir Malek. 2000. ’The Old Kingdom (c. 2686-2160 BC)’, in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 83-107. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[5]: (Thompson 2012, 1) Dorothy J. Thompson. 2012. Memphis under the Ptolemies. 2nd ed. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

[6]: (Mumford 2010, 331) Gregory D. Mumford. 2010. ’Settlements - Distribution, Structure, Architecture: Pharaonic’, in A Companion to Ancient Egypt, Volume 1, edited by Alan B Lloyd, 326-49. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.

[7]: (Engel 2013, 20-38) Eva-Maria Engel. 2013. ’The Organisation of a Nascent State: Egypt until the Beginning of the 4th Dynasty’, in Ancient Egyptian Adminstration, edited by Juan Carlos Moreno García, 19-40. Leiden: Brill.

[8]: (Papazian 2013, 67-68) Hratch Papazian. 2013. ’Departments, Treasuries, Granaries and Work Centers’, in Ancient Egyptian Adminstration, edited by Juan Carlos Moreno García, 41-83. Leiden: Brill.

[9]: (Bard 2000, 75) Kathryn A. Bard. 2000. ’The Emergence of the Egyptian State (c. 3200-2686 BC)’, in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 57-82. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[10]: (Bard 2000, 60) Kathryn A. Bard. 2000. ’The Emergence of the Egyptian State (c. 3200-2686 BC)’, in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, edited by Ian Shaw, 57-82. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[11]: (Moreno García 2013) Juan Carlos Moreno García. 2013. ’Building the Pharaonic State: Territory, Elite, and Power in Ancient Egypt during the 3rd Millennium BCE’, in Experiencing Power - Generating Authority: Cosmos and Politics in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, edited by J. A. Hill, Ph. H. Jones, A. J. Morales, 185-217. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.

[12]: (Bard 2000, 78) Kathryn A Bard. 2000. ’The Emergence of the Egyptian State (c.3200-2686 BC)’ in The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt edited by Ian Shaw. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

[13]: (Trigger 1983, 51) Bruce G. Trigger. 1983. ’The Rise of Egyptian Civilization’, in Ancient Egypt: A Social History edited by Bruce G. Trigger, Barry J. Kemp, David O’Connor and Alan B Lloyd, 1-70. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

General Variables

Identity and Location

1 Utm Zone

1 Original Name

1 Capital

7 Alternative Name

Temporal Bounds

1 Duration

Political and Cultural Relations

1 Suprapolity Relations

1 Succeeding Entity

1 Relationship to preceding Entity

2 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

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

Information / Kinds of Written Documents

2 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

2 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

2 Wooden Palisade

2 Stone Walls Non Mortared

2 Stone Walls Mortared

1 Settlements in a Defensive Position

1 Modern Fortification

2 Moat

1 Fortified Camp

1 Earth Rampart

2 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 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

1 Instability Event

NGA Settlements:

Year Range	Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1) was in:
(3100 BCE 2901 BCE)	Upper Egypt

Home NGA: Upper Egypt

General Variables

Identity and Location Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Utm Zone	36 R	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Original Name	Egypt - Dynasty I	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Capital	Memphis	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Alternative Name	Pre-dynastic Egypt	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Alternative Name	Naqada IIIC	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Alternative Name	Naqada III	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Alternative Name	IIIC	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Alternative Name	Dynasty I	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Alternative Name	Terminal Predynastic	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Alternative Name	Protodynastic period	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Temporal Bounds Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)	See More
Duration	[3100 BCE ➜ 2900 BCE]
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Political and Cultural Relations Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Suprapolity Relations	none	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Succeeding Entity	Egypt - Dynasty II	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity	continuity	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Succeeding Entity 2900 BCE 2687 BCE	Egypt - Dynasty II (eg_dynasty_2) [continuity]
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Preceding Entity 3300 BCE 3100 BCE	Egypt - Dynasty 0 (eg_naqada_3) [continuity]
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Degree of Centralization	unitary state	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Language Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Linguistic Family	NO_VALUE_ON_WIKI	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Language	unknown Suspected	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Religion Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

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

Social Complexity Variables

Social Scale Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Population of the Largest Settlement	[6,000 to 20,000] people	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Polity Territory	[50,000 to 110,000] km²	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Polity Population	[900,000 to 1,100,000] people	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Hierarchical Complexity Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Settlement Hierarchy	[4 to 5]	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Religious Level	3	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Military Level	[3 to 4]	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Administrative Level	4	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Professions Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Soldier	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Professional Priesthood	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Professional Military Officer	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Government Building	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Merit Promotion	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Full Time Bureaucrat	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Examination System	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Law Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Professional Lawyer	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Judge	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Formal Legal Code	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Court	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Market	Uncoded Undecided	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Irrigation System	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Food Storage Site	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Drinking Water Supply System	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Entertainment Building	Uncoded Undecided	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Transport Infrastructure Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Road	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Port	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Canal	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Bridge	Present Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Special-purpose Sites Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Mines or Quarry	Present Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Information / Writing System Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Written Record	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Script	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Nonwritten Record	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Non Phonetic Writing	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Scientific Literature	Absent Disputed	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Scientific Literature	Present Disputed	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Sacred Text	Present Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Religious Literature	Present Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Practical Literature	Present Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Philosophy	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Lists Tables and Classification	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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History	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Fiction	Uncoded Undecided	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Calendar	Present Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Information / Money Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Token	Present Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Token	Absent Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Precious Metal	Present Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Paper Currency	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Indigenous Coin	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Foreign Coin	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Article	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Information / Postal System Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Postal Station	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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General Postal Service	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Courier	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Information / Measurement System Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

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

Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)

Fortifications Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wooden Palisade	Present Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Wooden Palisade	Absent Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Present Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared	Absent Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Present Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Stone Walls Mortared	Absent Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Modern Fortification	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moat	Present Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moat	Absent Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Fortified Camp	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Earth Rampart	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Ditch	Present Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Ditch	Absent Uncertain	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Complex Fortification	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Long Wall	absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Military use of Metals Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Steel	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Iron	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Copper	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Bronze	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Projectiles Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Tension Siege Engine	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Sling Siege Engine	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Sling	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Self Bow	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Javelin	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Handheld Firearm	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Crossbow	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Composite Bow	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Atlatl	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Handheld weapons Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
War Club	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Sword	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Spear	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Polearm	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Dagger	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Battle Axe	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Animals used in warfare Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Horse	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Donkey	Unknown Suspected	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Dog	Unknown Suspected	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Camel	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Armor Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Wood Bark Etc	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Shield	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Scaled Armor	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Plate Armor	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Limb Protection	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Leather Cloth	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Laminar Armor	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Helmet	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Chainmail	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Breastplate	Absent	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Naval technology Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Specialized Military Vessel	Present Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc	Present	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service	Absent Inferred	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)

Religion Variables

Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

Variable	Coded Value / Certainty Tags	Year(s)
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain	Unknown	3100 BCE 2900 BCE
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Human Sacrifice Egypt - Dynasty I (eg_dynasty_1)

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