Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Transport infrastructure

Bridge

bridges refers to bridges built and/or maintained by the polity (that is, code 'present' even if the polity did not build a bridge, but devotes resources to maintaining it).   (See here)
Contributors:

Variable Definition
Polity The Seshat Polity ID
Year(s) The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE]
Tag [Evidenced, Disputed, Suspected, Inferred, Unknown]
Verified A Seshat Expert has approved this piece of data.

Variable Definition
bridge The absence or presence of bridge for a polity.

# Polity Year(s) Bridge Description   Edit
161
(Tocharians)
Full Year Range of Tocharians is assumed.
[-129, 29]
unknown
Possibly bridges over the Zarastran but unsure.
162
(Hmong - Early Chinese)
Full Year Range of Hmong - Early Chinese is assumed.
[1895, 1941]
present
Chinese anthropologists report a variety of bridges in the area: 'Bridges. - The bridge in the Miao area involve considerable construction work. On important communication roads, they generally built three or five-arch bridges (Illus. 11) on which were built houses for hotels and restaurants for the convenience of travelers. Places where a river is wide and shallow are spanned by long bridges (Illus. 22, 23). Places where a river is wide and deep are crossed by rope bridges (Illus. 24). In small streams which are narrow and have sandbanks they sat up stone steps, customarily called ho shui ch'iao /“bridge enclosing the water”/ (Illus. 25), or they build small bridges (Illus. 26) over them.' §REF§Ling, Shun-sheng, Yifu Ruey, and Lien-en Tsao 1947. “Report On An Investigation Of The Miao Of Western Hunan”, 71§REF§ Some mission stations devised bridge construction schemes: 'The mountain community of Shimenkan (Stone Gateway) in northwestern Guizhou served as the headquarters of church activity. In addition to its own large primary school, it offered secondary schooling and teacher training. At least thirty Hua Miao continued on and graduated from university in the decades before 1949. Some of these became ordained Methodist ministers or doctors and one became a well-regarded anthropologist (Yang Hanxian). Generally the local chapels were served by lay preachers who were trained at Shimenkan. Other young people received training as nurses and agricultural extension workers. At various points in time, agricultural and industrial extension programs were held at Shimenkan. New strains of potatoes were introduced, fruit orchards were planted on the hillsides of many villages, vegetable gardens were encouraged, and a number of Miao learned the techniques of carpentry, brickmaking, and masonry. More efficient looms were designed for home production of cloth. During the prerevolutionary decades, some villages benefited from collective endeavors to build bridges and roads, and pipe systems that brought water into the community. Teams of medical workers, from Shimenkan or from the churchaffiliated hospitals in nearby Zhaotong City, traveled around the area periodically. Even those who were not interested in becoming church members participated in the economic innovations, accepted treatment from the medical workers, and sent their children to the schools.' §REF§Diamond, Norma 1993. “Ethnicity And The State: The Hua Miao Of Southwest China”, 68§REF§
163
(Jin Dynasty)
Full Year Range of Jin Dynasty is assumed.
[1115, 1234]
present
e.g. Marco Polo Bridge
164
(Great Ming)
Full Year Range of Great Ming is assumed.
[1368, 1644]
present
e.g. five bridges of the Meridian Gate across the Golden Water River §REF§(Tsai 1996, p.35)§REF§
165
(Northern Wei)
Full Year Range of Northern Wei is assumed.
[386, 534]
present
Constructed by Monasteries §REF§(Bol, Peter. North China Workshop 2016)§REF§
166
(Papal States - Early Modern Period II)
Full Year Range of Papal States - Early Modern Period II is assumed.
[1648, 1809]
present
None
167
(Exarchate of Ravenna)
Full Year Range of Exarchate of Ravenna is assumed.
[568, 751]
present
None
168
(Western Roman Empire - Late Antiquity)
Full Year Range of Western Roman Empire - Late Antiquity is assumed.
[395, 476]
present
None
169
(Andronovo)
Full Year Range of Andronovo is assumed.
[-1800, -1200]
unknown
None
170
(Norman England)
Full Year Range of Norman England is assumed.
[1066, 1153]
present
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