Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Postal sytems

Courier

Full-time professional couriers.  
Contributors: Jenny, Majid, Peter

Variable Definition
Polity The Seshat Polity Name
Year(s) The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE]
Confidence Inferred : The value is inferred.
Suspected : The value is suspected (Expert Check Needed).
Evidenced : The value is backed up by sufficient evidence.
Disputed? No : No disagreement among scholars.
Yes : There is disagreement among scholars.
Expert? : Not yet Checked by a Seshat Expert.
: Checked and accepted by a Seshat Expert (or RA).

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

# Polity   Year(s)   Courier   Confidence     Disputed?     Expert?   Edit
1
Spanish Empire II
1716 CE 1814 CE
present
Confident No Edit
2
Soviet Union
1923 CE 1991 CE
present
Confident No Edit
3
Early United Mexican States
-
present
Confident No Edit
4
Qatabanian Commonwealth
-
present
Inferred No Edit
5
Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
6
Gupta Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
7
Ghur Principality
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
8
Yemen Ziyad Dynasty
-
present
Inferred No Edit
9
Hephthalites
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
10
Magadha
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
11
Buyid Confederation
-
present
Confident No Edit
12
Kannauj - Varman Dynasty
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
13
Cahokia - Late Woodland III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
14
Cahokia - Late Woodland I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
15
Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
16
Sogdiana - City-States Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
17
Republic of Venice IV
-
present
Confident No Edit
18
Gurjar-Pratihara Dynasty
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
19
Kidarite Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
20
Kushan Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
21
Post-Mauryan Kingdoms
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
22
Gahadavala Dynasty
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
23
Satavahana Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
24
Late Mongols
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
25
Tocharians
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
26
Vakataka Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
27
Sind - Abbasid-Fatimid Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
28
Kadamba Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
29
Sind - Samma Dynasty
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
30
Northern Song
-
present
Confident No Edit
31
Sui Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
32
Chalukyas of Badami
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
33
Elymais II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
34
Rashtrakuta Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
35
Badarian
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
36
Chalukyas of Kalyani
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
37
Egypt - Inter-Occupation Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
38
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate I
-
present
Confident No Edit
39
Hoysala Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
40
Nkore
-
present
Confident No Edit
41
Kampili Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
42
Foys
-
present
Inferred No Edit
43
Vijayanagara Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
44
Plantagenet England
-
present
Confident No Edit
45
Us Reconstruction-Progressive
-
present
Confident No Edit
46
Antebellum US
-
present
Confident No Edit
47
British Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
48
Napoleonic France
-
present
Inferred No Edit
49
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate III
-
present
Confident No Edit
50
Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate II
-
present
Confident No Edit
51
Naqada I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
52
Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
53
Egypt - Late Old Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
54
Egypt - Saite Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
55
Egypt - Thebes-Libyan Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
56
Beaker Culture
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
57
Hallstatt A-B1
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
58
Early Merovingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
59
Proto-Carolingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
60
Middle Merovingian
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
61
French Kingdom - Late Valois
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
62
Archaic Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
63
Classical Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
64
The Emirate of Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
65
Final Postpalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
66
Geometric Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
67
Hellenistic Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
68
Monopalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
69
Neolithic Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
70
New Palace Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
71
The Old Palace Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
72
Postpalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
73
Prepalatial Crete
-
absent
Confident No Edit
74
Hawaii I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
75
Hawaii II
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
76
Erligang
-
present
Inferred No Edit
77
Jin
-
present
Inferred No Edit
78
Jin Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
79
Early Qing
-
present
Confident No Edit
80
Tang Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
81
Western Zhou
-
present
Inferred No Edit
82
Yangshao
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
83
Shuar - Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
84
Shuar - Ecuadorian
-
absent
Confident No Edit
85
Egypt - Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
86
Egypt - Dynasty 0
-
present
Inferred No Edit
87
Ptolemaic Kingdom I
-
present
Confident No Edit
88
Ptolemaic Kingdom II
-
present
Confident No Edit
89
Egypt - Period of the Regions
-
present
Inferred No Edit
90
Egypt - Thebes-Hyksos Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
91
Chuuk - Early Truk
-
absent
Confident No Edit
92
Chuuk - Late Truk
-
absent
Confident No Edit
93
Atlantic Complex
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
94
French Kingdom - Early Bourbon
-
present
Confident No Edit
95
Proto-French Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
96
Carolingian Empire I
-
present
Inferred No Edit
97
Carolingian Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
98
Hallstatt C
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
99
Hallstatt D
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
100
La Tene C2-D
-
present
Inferred No Edit
101
Hawaii III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
102
Chagatai Khanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
103
Canaan
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
104
Yisrael
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
105
Deccan - Iron Age
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
106
Deccan - Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
107
Abbasid Caliphate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
108
Early Dynastic
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
109
Ubaid
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
110
Uruk
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
111
Elymais II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
112
Formative Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
113
Pre-Ceramic Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
114
Qajar
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
115
Elam - Late Sukkalmah
-
present
Inferred No Edit
116
Susa III
-
present
Confident No Edit
117
Latium - Bronze Age
-
absent
Confident No Edit
118
Latium - Copper Age
-
absent
Confident No Edit
119
Ostrogothic Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
120
Papal States - Renaissance Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
121
Exarchate of Ravenna
-
present
Confident No Edit
122
Western Roman Empire - Late Antiquity
-
present
Confident No Edit
123
Japan - Incipient Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
124
Japan - Initial Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
125
Japan - Early Jomon
-
absent
Confident No Edit
126
Japan - Middle Jomon
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
127
Kara-Khanids
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
128
Western Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
129
Yehuda
-
present
Inferred No Edit
130
Mahajanapada era
-
present
Confident No Edit
131
Akkadian Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
132
Neo-Assyrian Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
133
Elam - Awan Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
134
Elam - Crisis Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
135
Elam - Igihalkid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
136
Elam - Shutrukid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
137
Elam II
-
present
Confident No Edit
138
Sasanid Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
139
Sasanid Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
140
Elam - Shimashki Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
141
Icelandic Commonwealth
-
absent
Confident No Edit
142
Rome - Republic of St Peter II
-
present
Confident No Edit
143
Papal States - High Medieval Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
144
Papal States - Medieval Period II
-
present
Confident No Edit
145
Middle Roman Republic
-
present
Confident No Edit
146
Republic of St Peter I
-
present
Confident No Edit
147
Ashikaga Shogunate
-
present
Confident No Edit
148
Kamakura Shogunate
-
present
Confident No Edit
149
Kansai - Yayoi Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
150
Andronovo
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
151
Saadi Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
152
Bamana kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
153
Jenne-jeno I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
154
Jenne-jeno II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
155
Eastern Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
156
Second Turk Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
157
Uigur Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
158
Early Xiongnu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
159
Late Xiongnu
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
160
Xiongnu Imperial Confederation
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
161
Cuzco - Early Intermediate I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
162
Cuzco - Early Intermediate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
163
Cuzco - Late Intermediate I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
164
Cuzco - Late Intermediate II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
165
Cuzco - Late Formative
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
166
Kachi Plain - Pre-Urban Period
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
167
Egypt - Kushite Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
168
Sarazm
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
169
Byzantine Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
170
Late Cappadocia
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
171
Konya Plain - Early Chalcolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
172
Konya Plain - Late Chalcolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
173
East Roman Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
174
Kingdom of Lydia
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
175
Lysimachus Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
176
Ottoman Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
177
Ottoman Empire III
-
present
Confident No Edit
178
Phrygian Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
179
Tabal Kingdoms
-
present
Inferred No Edit
180
Cahokia - Early Woodland
-
absent
Confident No Edit
181
Cahokia - Late Woodland II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
182
Cahokia - Middle Woodland
-
absent
Confident No Edit
183
Funan I
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
184
Jenne-jeno III
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
185
Mali Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
186
Early Mongols
-
absent
Confident No Edit
187
Xianbei Confederation
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
188
Later Wagadu Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
189
Monte Alban IIIB and IV
-
absent
Confident No Edit
190
Kingdom of Norway II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
191
Inca Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
192
Wari Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
193
Orokaiva - Pre-Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
194
Orokaiva - Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
195
Kachi Plain - Ceramic Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
196
Kachi Plain - Proto-Historic Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
197
Kachi Plain - Urban Period I
-
present
Inferred No Edit
198
Umayyad Caliphate
-
present
Confident No Edit
199
Middle Bronze Age in Central Anatolia
-
present
Inferred No Edit
200
Byzantine Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
201
Konya Plain - Late Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
202
Ottoman Emirate
-
present
Confident No Edit
203
Ottoman Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
204
Cahokia - Moorehead
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
205
Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Early
-
present
Confident No Edit
206
Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
207
Yemen - Qasimid Dynasty
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
208
Durrani Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
209
Eastern Han Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
210
Western Jin
-
present
Confident No Edit
211
Erlitou
-
present
Inferred No Edit
212
Hmong - Early Chinese
-
absent
Confident No Edit
213
Longshan
-
present
Inferred No Edit
214
Great Ming
-
present
Confident No Edit
215
Northern Wei
-
present
Confident No Edit
216
Late Qing
-
present
Confident No Edit
217
Late Shang
-
present
Inferred No Edit
218
Tang Dynasty I
-
present
Confident No Edit
219
Early Wei Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
220
Western Han Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
221
British Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
222
Khanate of Bukhara
-
present
Inferred No Edit
223
Rasulid Dynasty
-
present
Inferred No Edit
224
Oaxaca - Tierras Largas
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
225
Oaxaca - Rosario
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
226
Great Yuan
-
present
Confident No Edit
227
Ayyubid Sultanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
228
Egypt - Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
229
Egypt - Middle Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
230
Naqada II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
231
Egypt - New Kingdom Ramesside Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
232
Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
233
Egypt - Tulunid-Ikhshidid Period
-
present
Confident No Edit
234
Spanish Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
235
Axum I
-
present
Confident No Edit
236
French Kingdom - Late Bourbon
-
present
Confident No Edit
237
French Kingdom - Late Capetian
-
present
Confident No Edit
238
Hallstatt B2-3
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
239
La Tene A-B1
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
240
La Tene B2-C1
-
present
Inferred No Edit
241
French Kingdom - Early Valois
-
present
Confident No Edit
242
Oaxaca - San Jose
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
243
Akan - Pre-Ashanti
-
present
Inferred No Edit
244
Ashanti Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
245
Iban - Pre-Brooke
-
absent
Confident No Edit
246
Iban - Brooke Raj and Colonial
-
absent
Confident No Edit
247
Majapahit Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
248
Mataram Sultanate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
249
Medang Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
250
Delhi Sultanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
251
Roman Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
252
Early A'chik
-
absent
Confident No Edit
253
Late A'chik
-
present
Confident No Edit
254
Magadha - Maurya Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
255
Mughal Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
256
Abbasid Caliphate I
-
present
Confident No Edit
257
Amorite Babylonia
-
present
Confident No Edit
258
Ur - Dynasty III
-
present
Confident No Edit
259
Achaemenid Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
260
Ak Koyunlu
-
present
Confident No Edit
261
Ilkhanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
262
Elam - Kidinuid Period
-
present
Inferred No Edit
263
Elam I
-
present
Confident No Edit
264
Elam I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
265
Elam II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
266
Parthian Empire I
-
present
Confident No Edit
267
Parthian Empire II
-
present
Confident No Edit
268
Safavid Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
269
Seleucids
-
present
Confident No Edit
270
Seljuk Sultanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
271
Elam - Early Sukkalmah
-
present
Inferred No Edit
272
Susa II
-
present
Confident No Edit
273
Latium - Iron Age
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
274
Papal States - Medieval Period I
-
present
Confident No Edit
275
Early Roman Republic
-
present
Confident No Edit
276
Late Roman Republic
-
present
Confident No Edit
277
Roman Empire - Principate
-
present
Inferred No Edit
278
Republic of Venice III
-
present
Confident No Edit
279
Asuka
-
present
Inferred No Edit
280
Japan - Azuchi-Momoyama
-
present
Confident No Edit
281
Heian
-
present
Confident No Edit
282
Nara Kingdom
-
absent
Confident No Edit
283
Warring States Japan
-
present
Confident No Edit
284
Tokugawa Shogunate
-
present
Confident No Edit
285
Classical Angkor
-
present
Confident No Edit
286
Early Angkor
-
present
Confident No Edit
287
Late Angkor
-
present
Confident No Edit
288
Kachi Plain - Aceramic Neolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
289
Khmer Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
290
Chenla
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
291
Funan II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
292
Phoenician Empire
-
unknown
Confident No Edit
293
Jenne-jeno IV
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
294
Songhai Empire - Askiya Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
295
Khitan I
-
present
Confident No Edit
296
Mongol Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
297
Rouran Khaganate
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
298
Zungharian Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
299
Middle Wagadu Empire
-
present
Inferred No Edit
300
Early Monte Alban I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
301
Monte Alban Late I
-
absent
Confident No Edit
302
Monte Alban II
-
absent
Confident No Edit
303
Monte Alban III
-
absent
Confident No Edit
304
Early Formative Basin of Mexico
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
305
Middle Formative Basin of Mexico
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
306
Kachi Plain - Chalcolithic
-
absent
Inferred No Edit
307
Kachi Plain - Post-Urban Period
-
absent
Confident No Edit
308
Kachi Plain - Urban Period II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
309
Sakha - Early
-
absent
Confident No Edit
310
Sakha - Late
-
present
Confident No Edit
311
Fatimid Caliphate
-
present
Inferred No Edit
312
Konya Plain - Late Bronze Age II
-
present
Inferred No Edit
313
Byzantine Empire III
-
present
Confident No Edit
314
Hatti - New Kingdom
-
present
Confident No Edit
315
Hatti - Old Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
316
Samanid Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
317
Roman Empire - Dominate
-
present
Inferred No Edit
318
Cahokia - Lohman-Stirling
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
319
Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Late
-
present
Confident No Edit
320
Kingdom of Hawaii - Kamehameha Period
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
321
Timurid Empire
-
present
Confident No Edit
322
Himyar I
-
present
Confident No Edit
323
Himyar II
-
present
Confident No Edit
324
Yemen - Tahirid Dynasty
-
present
Confident No Edit
325
Yemen - Era of Warlords
-
present
Confident No Edit
326
Kingdom of Jimma
-
present
Confident No Edit
327
Emirate of Harar
-
present
Confident No Edit
328
Sokoto Caliphate
-
present
Confident No Edit
329
Buganda
-
present
Confident No Edit
330
Harla Kingdom
-
present
Inferred No Edit
331
Tudor and Early Stuart England
-
present
Confident No Edit
332
Oirats
-
present
Confident No Edit
333
Golden Horde
-
present
Confident No Edit
334
Saffarid Caliphate
-
present
Confident No Edit
335
Lombard Kingdom
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
336
Anglo-Saxon England II
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
337
Khwarezmid Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
338
Hohokam Culture
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
339
British Empire IIIIIIIIII
-
present
Confident No Edit
340
Russian Empire, Romanov Dynasty II
-
present
Confident No Edit
341
Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty
-
present
Inferred No Edit
342
Rum Sultanate
-
present
Confident No Edit
343
Magadha - Sunga Empire
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit
344
Kingdom of Ayodhya
-
unknown
Suspected No Edit