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
251
(Cahokia - Late Woodland III)
Full Year Range of Cahokia - Late Woodland III is assumed.
[600, 750]
absent
There were no bridges in prehistoric North America.
252
(Ghur Principality)
Full Year Range of Ghur Principality is assumed.
[1025, 1215]
present
Baked-brick bridge.§REF§Thomas, David. Firuzkuh: the summer capital of the Ghurids http://www.academia.edu/188837/Firuzkuh_the_summer_capital_of_the_Ghurids§REF§
253
(Kidarite Kingdom)
Full Year Range of Kidarite Kingdom is assumed.
[388, 477]
present
Across the waterways in Bactria.
254
(Eastern Han Empire)
Full Year Range of Eastern Han Empire is assumed.
[25, 220]
present
Commandery governers had bureaus that dealt with bridges. §REF§(Bielenstein 1986, 508)§REF§
255
(Jin)
Full Year Range of Jin is assumed.
[-780, -404]
present
"As early as the Shang period, roads were controlled by a special official, and in the Zhou period, traffic had reached such proportions that regulations were introduced for particularly crowded crossroads and reckless driving was prohibited."§REF§(Lindqvist 2009) Lindqvist, Cecilia. 2009. China: Empire of Living Symbols. Da Capo Press.§REF§ Must have been stone or wooden bridges over rivers and streams.
256
(Northern Song)
Full Year Range of Northern Song is assumed.
[960, 1127]
present
"Most of the prefectural armies did not receive military training; they were merely involved in wall and road repair, river dike building, bridge construction, transportation, and other types of hard labor."§REF§(Tseng-yü and Wright 2009, 218)§REF§
257
(Papal States - High Medieval Period)
Full Year Range of Papal States - High Medieval Period is assumed.
[1198, 1309]
present
The popes maintained bridges across the Tiber; in other cities, such as Ravenna, the local bishops or secular officials did the same.
258
(Early Qing)
Full Year Range of Early Qing is assumed.
[1644, 1796]
present
During the early Qing, the development of Hangzhou involved the digging and dredging of rivers in the city as well as the river outside Zhangyang Gate, the river from Mija Bridge to Guojun Bridge, the river from Jionglong Bridge to Zhongguan Bridge, the river from Houchou Watergate to Guojun Bridge, and up to the river from Pocang Bridge to Gonguandong Bridge. This project led to an expansion of the rivers which had become clean and clear, flowing smoothly, allowing an increase in boat traffic. §REF§(Fu and Cao 2019, p.329)§REF§
259
(Late Qing)
Full Year Range of Late Qing is assumed.
[1796, 1912]
present
e.g. Yongqing Bridge and Santiao Bridge §REF§(Wang 2016, 212, 218)§REF§ The Board of Works was responsible for maintaining all official buildings, granaries, official communication routes, dykes, dams, and irrigation systems. §REF§(Smith 2015, 103)§REF§
260
(Late Shang)
Full Year Range of Late Shang is assumed.
[-1250, -1045]
present
"As early as the Shang period, roads were controlled by a special official"§REF§(Lindqvist 2009) Lindqvist, Cecilia. 2009. China: Empire of Living Symbols. Da Capo Press.§REF§ Must have been at least some small wooden or stone bridges over rivers and streams.
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