Section: Social Complexity
/ Hierarchical Complexity
Variable: Military Level
(All coded records)
Talking about Hierarchical Complexity, Military levels records the Military levels of a polity. Same principle as with Administrative levels. Start with the commander-in-chief coded as: level 1, and work down to the private. Even in primitive societies such as simple chiefdoms it is often possible to distinguish at least two levels – a commander and soldiers. A complex chiefdom would be coded three levels. The presence of warrior burials might be the basis for inferring the existence of a military organization. (The lowest military level is always the individual soldier).