Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Writing Systems

Nonwritten Record

Talking about writing systems, nonwritten records are more extensive than mnemonics, but don't utilize script. example: quipu; seals and stamps  
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
nonwritten_record The absence or presence of nonwritten record for a polity.

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