General Variables   Download All (.CSV)
We have coded a total of 7,382 different values for 21 variables in 533 polities.
This section of the Seshat database focuses on the essential aspects of polity organization and dynamics. It includes data on alternative name, original name, and capital, which provide information on how polities were identified. Variables such as degree of centralization, peak years, and duration reveal the administrative, temporal, and structural characteristics of past societies. Additionally, this section captures the relationships and interactions between polities, including preceding entity, succeeding entity, and relationship to preceding entity. Religious and cultural contexts are represented through variables like religion, religious tradition, and scale of supracultural interaction. Furthermore, linguistic and territorial attributes are documented, including language, language genus, linguistic family, and UTM zone.
Range Present / Coded Partially coded Transitional Absent Suspected Unknown Unknown Uncoded To Be Coded

Identity and Location

 505 coded records
 1,317 coded records
 499 coded records
Polity Capital TEXT+   
 631 coded records

Temporal Bounds

 521 coded records
 302 coded records

Political and Cultural Relations

 499 coded records
 386 coded records
 442 coded records
 272 coded records
 132 coded records

Language

 630 coded records
 521 coded records
 43 coded records

Religion

 139 coded records
 149 coded records
 44 coded records
 43 coded records
 33 coded records
 106 coded records
 168 coded records