| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 291 |
(Late A'chik) |
Full Year Range of Late A'chik is assumed. [1867, 1956] |
absent |
According to SCCS variable 14 'Routes of Land Transport' only 'unimproved trails' were used for land transport, not roads. The A’chik initially used trails only. Sinha reports temporary bridges, but at a later field date than the time period covered here: ‘There is but one cart road running from Bagmara to Damra via Tura, the headquarters of the district. It is a fair-weather road for vehicular traffic. In the rains, however, most of the temporary bridges become unsuitable for traffic. The other short roads run from Tura on to Phulbari and the other to Mankachar, the border region on the north and west of the district. There is a camel track running very close to the central ridge connecting Damra with Tura being linked with Siju. The Assam Trunk Road runs on the north of the district. The inhabitants of the place usually have to walk over the hills following the foot tracks to go from one place to another. Where the rivers or rivulets are sufficiently deep, people use dugout boats to cover the distance when necessary. Towards the centre of the district, boats as a means of conveyance are very risky. The slopes are too steep, and the boulders under the surface of the water are too big for safe plying of boats.’ §REF§Sinha, Tarunchandra 1966. “Psyche Of The Garos”, 1§REF§ [There was precious little such infrastructure in the mid 50's, so I suppose there was not much earlier. There was a one lane gravel/dirt road up to Tura when I was there.] | |
| 292 |
(Mughal Empire) |
Full Year Range of Mughal Empire is assumed. [1526, 1858] |
present |
Bridges were constructed to allow faster transportation across land.§REF§Link§REF§ | |
| 293 |
(Abbasid Caliphate I) |
Full Year Range of Abbasid Caliphate I is assumed. [750, 946] |
present |
The bridges of Samarra are an example of Bridge making during the Abassid Caliphate. Its inscriptions and brickwork stand out. §REF§Osman S. A. Ismail (1968). The founding of a new capital: Sāmarrā'. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 31, pp 1-13. provides further evidence of bridge building.§REF§§REF§Bloom, Jonathan M., and Sheila Blair, eds. The Grove Encyclopedia of Islamic Art and Architecture p. 334§REF§ | |
| 294 |
(Kassite Babylonia) |
Full Year Range of Kassite Babylonia is assumed. [-1595, -1150] |
present |
"Routes were often dictated by the location of oases, mountain passes, and river crossings, by bridge, ford, or ferry."EXTERNAL_INLINE_REFERENCE: ;(McIntosh 2005: 139) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: EXTERNAL_INLINE_LINK: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD .; | |
| 295 |
(Bazi Dynasty) |
Full Year Range of Bazi Dynasty is assumed. [-1005, -986] |
present |
"Routes were often dictated by the location of oases, mountain passes, and river crossings, by bridge, ford, or ferry."EXTERNAL_INLINE_REFERENCE: ;(McIntosh 2005: 139) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: EXTERNAL_INLINE_LINK: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD .; | |
| 296 |
(Dynasty of E) |
Full Year Range of Dynasty of E is assumed. [-979, -732] |
present |
"Routes were often dictated by the location of oases, mountain passes, and river crossings, by bridge, ford, or ferry."EXTERNAL_INLINE_REFERENCE: ;(McIntosh 2005: 139) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: EXTERNAL_INLINE_LINK: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD .; | |
| 297 |
(Second Dynasty of Isin) |
Full Year Range of Second Dynasty of Isin is assumed. [-1153, -1027] |
present |
"Routes were often dictated by the location of oases, mountain passes, and river crossings, by bridge, ford, or ferry."EXTERNAL_INLINE_REFERENCE: ;(McIntosh 2005: 139) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: EXTERNAL_INLINE_LINK: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD .; | |
| 298 |
(Neo-Babylonian Empire) |
Full Year Range of Neo-Babylonian Empire is assumed. [-626, -539] |
present |
The city of Babylon straddled the Euphrates river and a bridge was maintained to join the two parts of the city §REF§Gill, A. 2008. Gateway of the Gods: Rise and Fall of Babylon. London: Quercus. p.104§REF§ | |
| 299 |
(Ottoman Emirate) |
Full Year Range of Ottoman Emirate is assumed. [1299, 1402] |
present |
Repaired to facilitate movement of army. §REF§(Nicolle 1983, 6)§REF§ | |
| 300 |
(Achaemenid Empire) |
Full Year Range of Achaemenid Empire is assumed. [-550, -331] |
present |
"Mandorcles, another engineer of the Darius period, constructed a bridge over Begas Bosporus to allow the army to pass over. Bolts and nuts were used to fix the boards in its construction."§REF§(Angelakis, Mays and Koutsoyiannis 2012, 94) Angelakis A N, Mays L W, Koutsoyiannis, D. 2012. Evolution of Water Supply Through the Millennia. IWA Publishing.§REF§ "Darius crossed into Europe (in about 513) over a pontoon bridge built by his Samian engineer, Mandrocles (a feat not rivaled until 1973), which continued the royal road into Europe."§REF§(Shahbazi 2012, 127) Shahbazi, A Shapour. The Archaemenid Persian Empire (550-330 BCE) Daryaee, Touraj. ed. 2012. The Oxford Handbook of Iranian History. Oxford University Press.§REF§ |