Section: Social Complexity / Kinds of Written Documents
Variable: Philosophy (All coded records)
Talking about Kinds of Written Documents, NO_DESCRIPTIONS_IN_CODEBOOK  
Philosophy
#  Polity  Coded Value Tags Year(s) Edit Desc
1 Early Qing present Confident Expert -
e.g. Confucian Classics [1]

[1]: (Zhang 2015, p.380)


2 Late Qing present Confident Expert -
e.g. Confucian Five Classics [1]

[1]: (Smith 2015, 221)


3 Archaic Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


4 Initial Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


5 Early Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


6 Middle Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


7 Late Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


8 Terminal Formative Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


9 Epiclassic Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


10 Toltecs absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


11 Middle Postclassic Basin of Mexico absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


12 Aztec Empire absent Confident Expert -
"Known for the colonial period, maybe oral philosophy earlier." [1]

[1]: Carballo, David. Personal Communication to Jill Levine and Peter Turchin. Email. April 23, 2020)


13 Hawaii I absent Confident Expert -
The pre-contact Hawaiians had no writing. [1]

[1]: (Kirch 2010, 75-76) Patrick Vinton Kirch. 2010. How Chiefs Became Kings: Divine Kingship and the Rise of Archaic States in Ancient Hawai’i. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.


14 Hawaii II absent Confident Expert -
Writing was introduced by Christian missionaries starting from the 1820s [1] .

[1]: (Kuykendall 1938, 102-118)


15 Hawaii III absent Confident Expert -
"The lack of a writing system is also noteworthy, although Hawai’i is not the only archaic state with this deficiency; the Inka similarly lacked written texts." [1]

[1]: (Kirch 2010, 75)


16 Kingdom of Hawaii - Kamehameha Period absent Confident Expert -
Writing was introduced by Christian missionaries starting from the 1820s [1] .

[1]: (Kuykendall 1938, 102-118)


17 Cahokia - Early Woodland absent Confident Expert -
-
18 Cahokia - Middle Woodland absent Confident Expert -
-
19 Cahokia - Late Woodland I absent Confident Expert -
-
20 Cahokia - Late Woodland II absent Confident Expert -
-
21 Cahokia - Late Woodland III absent Confident Expert -
-
22 Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian I absent Confident Expert -
-
23 Cahokia - Sand Prairie absent Confident Expert -
-
24 Oneota absent Confident Expert -
Certainly absent.
25 Early Illinois Confederation unknown Suspected Expert -
-
26 Cahokia - Lohman-Stirling absent Confident Expert -
-
27 Cahokia - Moorehead absent Confident Expert -
-
28 Cahokia - Emergent Mississippian II absent Confident Expert -
-
29 Funan I present Confident Expert -
’During the first five hundred years or so of the current era, India provided Cambodia with a writing system, a pantheon, meters for poetry, a language (Sanskrit) to write it in, a vocabulary of social hierarchies (not the same as a caste system), Buddhism, the idea of universal kingship, and new ways a looking at politics, sociology, architecture, iconography, astronomy, and aesthetics.’ [1]

[1]: (Chandler 2008, p. 17)


30 Funan II present Confident Expert -
’During the first five hundred years or so of the current era, India provided Cambodia with a writing system, a pantheon, meters for poetry, a language (Sanskrit) to write it in, a vocabulary of social hierarchies (not the same as a caste system), Buddhism, the idea of universal kingship, and new ways a looking at politics, sociology, architecture, iconography, astronomy, and aesthetics.’ [1]

[1]: (Chandler 2008, p. 17)


31 Chenla present Confident Expert -
’During the first five hundred years or so of the current era, India provided Cambodia with a writing system, a pantheon, meters for poetry, a language (Sanskrit) to write it in, a vocabulary of social hierarchies (not the same as a caste system), Buddhism, the idea of universal kingship, and new ways a looking at politics, sociology, architecture, iconography, astronomy, and aesthetics.’ [1]

[1]: (Chandler 2008, 17)


32 Early Angkor present Confident Expert -
’During the first five hundred years or so of the current era, India provided Cambodia with a writing system, a pantheon, meters for poetry, a language (Sanskrit) to write it in, a vocabulary of social hierarchies (not the same as a caste system), Buddhism, the idea of universal kingship, and new ways a looking at politics, sociology, architecture, iconography, astronomy, and aesthetics.’ [1]

[1]: (Chandler 2008, p. 17)


33 Classical Angkor present Confident Expert -
’During the first five hundred years or so of the current era, India provided Cambodia with a writing system, a pantheon, meters for poetry, a language (Sanskrit) to write it in, a vocabulary of social hierarchies (not the same as a caste system), Buddhism, the idea of universal kingship, and new ways a looking at politics, sociology, architecture, iconography, astronomy, and aesthetics.’ [1]

[1]: (Chandler 2008, p. 17)


34 Late Angkor present Confident Expert -
’During the first five hundred years or so of the current era, India provided Cambodia with a writing system, a pantheon, meters for poetry, a language (Sanskrit) to write it in, a vocabulary of social hierarchies (not the same as a caste system), Buddhism, the idea of universal kingship, and new ways a looking at politics, sociology, architecture, iconography, astronomy, and aesthetics.’ [1]

[1]: (Chandler 2008, p. 17)


35 Khmer Kingdom present Confident Expert -
’During the first five hundred years or so of the current era, India provided Cambodia with a writing system, a pantheon, meters for poetry, a language (Sanskrit) to write it in, a vocabulary of social hierarchies (not the same as a caste system), Buddhism, the idea of universal kingship, and new ways a looking at politics, sociology, architecture, iconography, astronomy, and aesthetics.’ [1]

[1]: (Chandler 2008, p. 17)


36 Rattanakosin present Inferred Expert -
If Buddhist texts may be classified as "philosophical".
37 Monagrillo absent Confident -
-
38 La Mula-Sarigua absent Confident -
-
39 Early Greater Coclé absent Confident -
-
40 Middle Greater Coclé absent Confident -
-
41 Late Greater Coclé absent Confident -
-
42 Chuuk - Early Truk absent Confident Expert -
SCCS variable 149 ’Writing and Records’ is coded as ‘1’ or ‘None’, not ‘Mnemonic devices’, or ‘Nonwritten records’, or ’True writing, no records’, or ‘True writing; records’.
43 Chuuk - Late Truk absent Confident Expert -
SCCS variable 149 ’Writing and Records’ is coded as ‘1’ or ‘None’, not ‘Mnemonic devices’, or ‘Nonwritten records’, or ’True writing, no records’, or ‘True writing; records’
44 Neolithic Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
45 Prepalatial Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
46 Old Palace Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
47 New Palace Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
48 Monopalatial Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
49 Postpalatial Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
50 Final Postpalatial Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
51 Geometric Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
52 Archaic Crete absent Confident Expert -
-
53 Classical Crete present Confident Expert -
-
54 Hellenistic Crete present Confident Expert -
-
55 Roman Empire - Principate present Confident Expert -
Seneca (born Cordova, 4 CE), work on ethics, some poetical work (tragedies) [1]

[1]: (Allcroft and Haydon 1902, 231)


56 Roman Empire - Dominate present Confident Expert -
Augustine of Hippo (born 354 CE, Thagaste, Numidia). Confessions of St. Augustine, City of God, On Christian Doctrine. Also under theology.
57 East Roman Empire present Confident Expert -
"books interpreting dreams, the astrological prophecies, the oracle-books, and the so-called thunder and lightning books." [1]

[1]: (Haussig 1971, 125) Haussig, H W. trans Hussey, J M. 1971. History of Byzantine Civilization. Thames and Hudson.


58 Byzantine Empire I present Confident Expert -
Preiser-Kapeller says present. [1] Procheiros Nomos (economics and law) 867-879 CE. [2]

[1]: (Johannes Preiser-Kapeller 2015) Institute for Medieval Research, Division of Byzantine Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences)

[2]: (Haussig 1971, Chronological Table) Haussig, H W.trans Hussey, J M. 1971. History of Byzantine Civilization. Thames and Hudson.


59 The Emirate of Crete present Confident Expert -
-
60 Byzantine Empire II present Confident Expert -
Preiser-Kapeller says present. [1] Michael Psellus (1018-?1078 CE): "Commentaries on Plato and Aristotle. Treatises on scientific problems. Letters, orations, legal works. Contemporary history (976-1077)." [2] John Italus. [3] Advice to kings genre: Constantine VII sought to compile "works that would be useful for the administration of the empire and the success of his son as emperor": "He apparently compiled the De administrando imperio (on foreign policy), the De thematibus (on provincial government), and the De ceremoniis (on imperial ceremony)." [4] Michael Attaleiates book The History also may belong in the advice for kings genre. It was addressed to the Emperor [5] and he states he covers events and "added the causes why they happened the way they did" and "the virtues and vices of the rulers and other men in power, weaving in also certain scientific matters concerning natural phenomena" [6]

[1]: (Preiser-Kapeller 2015) Institute for Medieval Research, Division of Byzantine Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences)

[2]: (Haussig 1971, Chronological Table) Haussig, H W.trans Hussey, J M. 1971. History of Byzantine Civilization. Thames and Hudson.

[3]: (Tanner, Previte-Orton, Brooke 1923, 764) Tanner, J, Previte-Orton, C, Brooke, Z eds. (1923) Charles Diehl, The Cambridge Medieval History, Volume IV, The Eastern Roman Empire 171-1453 [5]

[4]: (Gregory 2010, 262) Gregory, Timothy E. 2010. A History of Byzantium. Second Edition. Wiley-Blackwell. Chichester.

[5]: (Kaldellis and Krallis 2012, 3) Kaldellis, Anthony. Krallis, Dimitris. 2012. The History: Michael Attaleiates. Harvard University Press. Cambridge.

[6]: (Kaldellis and Krallis 2012, 7) Kaldellis, Anthony. Krallis, Dimitris. 2012. The History: Michael Attaleiates. Harvard University Press. Cambridge.


61 Byzantine Empire III present Confident Expert -
Preiser-Kapeller says present. [1] John Italus. [2]

[1]: (Preiser-Kapeller 2015) Institute for Medieval Research, Division of Byzantine Research, Austrian Academy of Sciences)

[2]: (Tanner, Previte-Orton, Brooke 1923, 764) Tanner, J, Previte-Orton, C, Brooke, Z eds. (1923) Charles Diehl, The Cambridge Medieval History, Volume IV, The Eastern Roman Empire 171-1453 [6]


62 Cuzco - Late Formative absent Confident Expert -
"There was no true writing system in the Andes prior to the arrival of the Spanish., notwithstanding recent interpretations of the quipu (see Quilter and Urton 2002) and the tocapu pictograms." [1]

[1]: (Hiltunen and McEwan 2004, 236)


63 Cuzco - Early Intermediate I absent Confident Expert -
"There was no true writing system in the Andes prior to the arrival of the Spanish, notwithstanding recent interpretations of the quipu (see Quilter and Urton 2002) and the tocapu pictograms." [1]

[1]: (Hiltunen and McEwan 2004, 236)


64 Cuzco - Early Intermediate II absent Confident Expert -
"There was no true writing system in the Andes prior to the arrival of the Spanish, notwithstanding recent interpretations of the quipu (see Quilter and Urton 2002) and the tocapu pictograms." [1]

[1]: (Hiltunen and McEwan 2004, 236)


65 Wari Empire absent Confident Expert -
"There was no true writing system in the Andes prior to the arrival of the Spanish, notwithstanding recent interpretations of the quipu (see Quilter and Urton 2002) and the tocapu pictograms." [1]

[1]: (Hiltunen and McEwan 2004, 236)


66 Cuzco - Late Intermediate I absent Confident Expert -
Writing was not developed until the arrival of the Spanish. "There was no true writing system in the Andes prior to the arrival of the Spanish, notwithstanding recent interpretations of the quipu (see Quilter and Urton 2002) and the tocapu pictograms." [1]

[1]: (Hiltunen and McEwan 2004, 236)


67 Cuzco - Late Intermediate II absent Confident Expert -
"There was no true writing system in the Andes prior to the arrival of the Spanish, notwithstanding recent interpretations of the quipu (see Quilter and Urton 2002) and the tocapu pictograms." [1]

[1]: (Hiltunen and McEwan 2004, 236)


68 Inca Empire absent Confident Expert -
-
69 Spanish Empire I present Confident Expert -
example: works by Baltasar Gracián and Francisco Suárez
70 Deccan - Neolithic absent Inferred Expert -
-
71 Deccan - Iron Age unknown Suspected Expert -
-
72 Satavahana Empire present Confident Expert -
e.g. Kundakunda Charya’s works on Jainist thought [1] .

[1]: H.V. Sreenivasa Murthy and R. Ramakrishnan, A History of Karnataka (1978), p. 37


73 Vakataka Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Gupta-Vakataka period: "Philosophy was mostly critical in our period, but it was remarkably creative as well in the case of the Mahayana school of Buddhism. The most original, the most daring and the most far-reaching contributions of this school to the progress of Indian philosophy were made by its thinkers who flourished in our period." [1]

[1]: (Majumbar and Altekar 1946, 6-7) Majumdar, Ramesh Chandra. Altekar, Anant Sadashiv. 1986. Vakataka - Gupta Age Circa 200-550 A.D. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.


74 Rashtrakuta Empire present Confident Expert -
e.g. Amoghavarsa I’s philosophical lyric "The Jewel-Garland of Questions and Answers", and the numerous treatises on logic [1]

[1]: Jayashri Mishra, Social and Economic Conditions Under the Imperial Rashtrakutas (1992), p. 117, 126


75 Chalukyas of Kalyani unknown Suspected Expert -
-
76 Hoysala Kingdom present Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: Suryanath U. Kamath, A concise history of Karnataka (1980), p. 138-9


77 Kampili Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Under Hoysalas [1]

[1]: Suryanath U. Kamath, A concise history of Karnataka (1980), p. 138-9


78 Vijayanagara Empire present Confident Expert -
Works on philosophy [1] .

[1]: R.C. Majumdar, H.C. Raychaudhuri, Kalikinkar Datta, An Advanced History of India (1974), p. 372


79 Mughal Empire present Confident Expert -
Philosophical thought at this time was based on the deep philosophical tradition in India, [1] which was discussed and written down by the mentor of Mughal emperor Prince Dara Shikoh, Kavindracarya. [2]

[1]: Kulke, H. Rothermund, D. 2010. A History of India (5th ed.). London: Routledge, pp102-3.

[2]: Busch, A. 2010. Hidden in Plain View: Brajbhasha Poets at the Mughal Court. Modern Asian Studies, 44, pp 267-309. p292.


80 British Empire II present Confident Expert -
-
81 Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Early absent Confident Expert -
-
82 Haudenosaunee Confederacy - Late absent Confident Expert -
-
83 Canaan absent Confident Expert -
-
84 Phoenician Empire unknown Suspected Expert -
-
85 Yisrael unknown Confident Expert -
-
86 Achaemenid Empire present Inferred Expert -
"Iranians were familiar with Greek philosophy from the Achaemenid period." [1] The Achaemenid period "witnessed major developments in art, philosophy, literature, historiography, religion, exploration, economics, and science, and those developments provided the direct background for the further changes, along similar lines, that made the Hellenistic period so important in history." [2]

[1]: (Tafazzoli 1996, 90) Tafazzoli, A. and Khromov, A. L. Sasanian Iran: Intellectual Life. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.82-105. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf

[2]: T. Cuyler Young, Jr. Achaemenid Society and Culture http://www.iranchamber.com/history/articles/achaemenid_society_culture.php#sthash.wxVBVuth.dpuf


87 Seleucids present Inferred Expert -
"Iranians were familiar with Greek philosophy from the Achaemenid period." [1] "Babylonian astronomy, astrology, mathematics, and medicine were studied and developed by Greek inhabitants of the region [of Babylonia], and Babylonian astrology flooded the western world." [2]

[1]: (Tafazzoli 1996, 90) Tafazzoli, A. and Khromov, A. L. Sasanian Iran: Intellectual Life. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.82-105. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf

[2]: (Neusner 2008, 4) Neusner, Jacob. 2008. A History of the Jews in Babylonia. 1. The Parthian Period. Wipf & Stock. Eugene.


88 Ptolemaic Kingdom I present Confident Expert -
Zenodotus of Ephesus (born c325 BCE) and Aristarchus of Samothrace (c.217-145 BCE) in "literary scholarship." [1]

[1]: (Lloyd 2000, 400)


89 Yehuda unknown Confident Expert -
-
90 Early A'chik absent Confident Expert -
-
91 Late A'chik absent Confident Expert -
SCCS variable 149 ’Writing and Records’ lists no mnemonic devices or nonwritten records or ’True writing, no writing’ We need to ascertain what Shira means by ’secular literature’.
92 Akan - Pre-Ashanti absent Confident Expert -
-
93 Ashanti Empire absent Confident Expert -
’Akan languages started to be written down, mainly in religious publication, by Danish, German and British missionaries during the 17th and 18th centuries.’ [1]

[1]: (Ager, Simon 2013; Literacy Database


94 Icelandic Commonwealth absent Confident Expert 930 CE 1100 CE
Durrenberger notes the presence of legal and grammatical literature: ’According to most authors writing was introduced to Iceland when the country was Christianized in the year 1000. In the two centuries that followed, writing was used for many purposes: religious works, a grammar, a law book and a short history. Most of the family sagas were written in the thirteenth century. The saga with which I am concerned, Eyrbyggja saga (ÍF 4), is commonly believed to have been written between 1230-1250 (Schach & Hollander 1959:xx). I shall deal only with a part of this saga, which I have called the Þórgunna story (ÍF 4, ch. 49-55). I consider the Þórgunna story a myth. Anthropologists believe that myths contain hidden messages in symbolic forms. According to Malinowski (1926) myths are social charters. Lévi-Strauss (1963) argues that myths have a binary structure and that their oppositions explore contradictions in social and other relations.’ [1] The Grágás legal code is one example: ’It is impossible to say how much of this book is represented in Grágás. Grágás has been preserved in two manuscripts which date to about 1260 and 1280. It is not possible to assign dates to individual provisions within it. The provenance of the manuscripts is unknown and neither is an official compilation (Miller 1990: 42).’ [2] The presence of priests and bishops suggests theological writing in the Christian period: ’Educated Icelanders were well acquainted with European literature, including religious philosophy. Passages of a philosophical nature can be found in many sagas (e.g. Fóstbræðra saga, although this may be post 1262).’ [3]

[1]: Odner, Knut 1992. “Þógunna’S Testament: A Myth For Moral Contemplation And Social Apathy”, 125

[2]: Durrenberger, E. Paul 1992. “Dynamics Of Medieval Iceland: Political Economy And Literature”, 80

[3]: Árni Daniel Júlíusson and Axel Kristissen 2017, pers. comm. to E. Brandl and D. Mullins


95 Icelandic Commonwealth present Confident Expert 1101 CE 1262 CE
Durrenberger notes the presence of legal and grammatical literature: ’According to most authors writing was introduced to Iceland when the country was Christianized in the year 1000. In the two centuries that followed, writing was used for many purposes: religious works, a grammar, a law book and a short history. Most of the family sagas were written in the thirteenth century. The saga with which I am concerned, Eyrbyggja saga (ÍF 4), is commonly believed to have been written between 1230-1250 (Schach & Hollander 1959:xx). I shall deal only with a part of this saga, which I have called the Þórgunna story (ÍF 4, ch. 49-55). I consider the Þórgunna story a myth. Anthropologists believe that myths contain hidden messages in symbolic forms. According to Malinowski (1926) myths are social charters. Lévi-Strauss (1963) argues that myths have a binary structure and that their oppositions explore contradictions in social and other relations.’ [1] The Grágás legal code is one example: ’It is impossible to say how much of this book is represented in Grágás. Grágás has been preserved in two manuscripts which date to about 1260 and 1280. It is not possible to assign dates to individual provisions within it. The provenance of the manuscripts is unknown and neither is an official compilation (Miller 1990: 42).’ [2] The presence of priests and bishops suggests theological writing in the Christian period: ’Educated Icelanders were well acquainted with European literature, including religious philosophy. Passages of a philosophical nature can be found in many sagas (e.g. Fóstbræðra saga, although this may be post 1262).’ [3]

[1]: Odner, Knut 1992. “Þógunna’S Testament: A Myth For Moral Contemplation And Social Apathy”, 125

[2]: Durrenberger, E. Paul 1992. “Dynamics Of Medieval Iceland: Political Economy And Literature”, 80

[3]: Árni Daniel Júlíusson and Axel Kristissen 2017, pers. comm. to E. Brandl and D. Mullins


96 Kingdom of Norway II present Confident Expert -
The presence of cathedral schools and monasteries suggests theological and philosophical writing. ’Educated Icelanders were well acquainted with European literature, including religious philosophy. Passages of a philosophical nature can be found in many sagas (e.g. Fóstbræðra saga, although this may be post 1262).’ [1]

[1]: Árni Daniel Júlíusson and Axel Kristissen 2017, pers. comm. to E. Brandl and D. Mullins


97 Kachi Plain - Aceramic Neolithic absent Confident Expert -
Possehl states that there was no writing before the urban phase in the Indus valley. [1]

[1]: Gregory L. Possehl. The Indus Civilization. A Contemporary Perspective. Walnut Creek, Altamira, 2002, p. 51.


98 Kachi Plain - Ceramic Neolithic absent Confident Expert -
Possehl states that there was no writing before the urban phase in the Indus valley. [1]

[1]: Gregory L. Possehl. The Indus Civilization. A Contemporary Perspective. Walnut Creek, Altamira, 2002, p. 51.


99 Kachi Plain - Chalcolithic absent Confident Expert -
Possehl states that there was no writing before the urban phase in the Indus valley. [1] While seals have been found in Mehrgarh III layers, these show no evidence of script or writing. [2]

[1]: Gregory L. Possehl. The Indus Civilization. A Contemporary Perspective. Walnut Creek, Altamira, 2002, p. 51.

[2]: , C. A. (in press) Chapter 11, Case Study: Mehrgarh. In, Barker, G and Goucher, C (eds.) Cambridge World History, Volume 2: A World with Agriculture, 12,000 BCE - 500 CE. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.


100 Kachi Plain - Pre-Urban Period absent Confident Expert -
Possehl states that there was no writing before the urban phase in the Indus valley. [1]

[1]: Gregory L. Possehl. The Indus Civilization. A Contemporary Perspective. Walnut Creek, Altamira, 2002, p. 51.


101 Kachi Plain - Urban Period I unknown Suspected Expert -
Only as only eight texts longer than fifteen signs have been found. [1]

[1]: Burjor Avari. India: The Ancient Past. A history of the Indian sub-continent from c.7000 BC to AD 1200. Oxon, 2007, p.51


102 Kachi Plain - Urban Period II unknown Suspected Expert -
Only as only eight texts longer than fifteen signs have been found. [1]

[1]: Burjor Avari. India: The Ancient Past. A history of the Indian sub-continent from c.7000 BC to AD 1200. Oxon, 2007, p.51


103 Kachi Plain - Post-Urban Period absent Confident Expert -
"The Indus civilization flourished for around five hundred to seven hundred years, and in the early second millennium it disintegrated. This collapse was marked by the disappearance of the features that had distinguished the Indus civilization from its predecessors: writing, city dwelling, some kind of central control, international trade, occupational specialization, and widely distributed standardized artifacts. [...] Writing was no longer used, though occasionally signs were scratched as graffiti on pottery." [1]

[1]: (McIntosh 2008, 91-92) Jane McIntosh. 2008. The Ancient Indus Civilization. Oxford; Santa Barbara: ABC-Clio.


104 Kachi Plain - Proto-Historic Period absent Confident Expert -
-
105 Parthian Empire I present Confident Expert -
"Iranians were familiar with Greek philosophy from the Achaemenid period." [1] "Parthian Empire in particular seems to have become a refuge for the Jews who fled the Roman persecution and brought the fundamental of the rabbinic learning with them, to appear in the form of the Babylonian Talmud a few centuries later." [2] "the Avesta (the holy book of Zoroastrianism) ... credits Vologases I (51-78 CE) with the collection and compiling of the corpus of Avesta itself. Whether true or not, this is an evidence of the interest of later Arsacid Emperors in Zoroastrianism and their possible patronage of its spread." [2] "the late Arsacid period is distinguished by the rise of the aforementioned Gnosticism and Neo-Platonism. Famous leaders of Gnosticism like Marcion lived either in the Parthian territories or had a large following within their lands, while the Egyptian philosopher Plotinus made a trip to the Parthian lands". [2] "We know that varied schools of philosophy flourished in Hellenistic Babylonia, and Greek metaphysicians, astronomers, naturalists, historians, geographers, and physicians worked there. The Parthian court made considerable use of such trained and able men for building its bureaucracy." [3]

[1]: (Tafazzoli 1996, 90) Tafazzoli, A. and Khromov, A. L. Sasanian Iran: Intellectual Life. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.82-105. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf

[2]: Rezakhani, Khodadad. 2016. Arsacid Society and Culture. Accessed 06.09.2016: https://iranologie.com/the-history-page/the-arsacid-empire/arsacid-society-and-culture/

[3]: (Neusner 2008, 8-9) Neusner, Jacob. 2008. A History of the Jews in Babylonia. 1. The Parthian Period. Wipf & Stock. Eugene.


106 Sasanid Empire I present Inferred Expert -
"Iranians were familiar with Greek philosophy from the Achaemenid period. This acquaintance was deepened in Sasanian times, leading to the influence of Greek philosophy on Zoroastrian religious works." [1] Advice to kings genre: "Several works discussed government policies and ways and means of governing the kingdom. Among them is the Name-i Tansar [Letter of Tansar], written by Tansar (or, in the correct form, Tosar), the Zoroastrian mobad (high priest) at the time of Ardashir I, in response to Gushnasp, king of Tabaristan. ... changes were made to it in later periods, particularly during the reign of Khusrau I. [2]

[1]: (Tafazzoli 1996, 90) Tafazzoli, A. and Khromov, A. L. Sasanian Iran: Intellectual Life. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.82-105. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf

[2]: (Tafazzoli 1996, 88) Tafazzoli, A. and Khromov, A. L. Sasanian Iran: Intellectual Life. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.82-105. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf


107 Hephthalites present Confident Expert -
Works translated from Romans. [1] Bozorghmer (531-578 CE): "Native of Merv and the best-known Central Asian thinker of the pre-Islamic era. A Zoroastrian dualist, Bozorghmer propounded ideas on ethics that influenced thinkers deep into the Muslim age. He also served as vizier and invented the game of backgammon." [2]

[1]: Daryaee, T. Sasanian Persia, pp. 27-37

[2]: (Starr 2013) Starr, S. Frederick. 2013. Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia’s Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane. Princeton University Press. Princeton.


108 Sasanid Empire II present Confident Expert -
"Iranians were familiar with Greek philosophy from the Achaemenid period. This acquaintance was deepened in Sasanian times, leading to the influence of Greek philosophy on Zoroastrian religious works." [1] Works translated from Romans. [2] Advice to kings genre: "Several works discussed government policies and ways and means of governing the kingdom. Among them is the Name-i Tansar [Letter of Tansar], written by Tansar (or, in the correct form, Tosar), the Zoroastrian mobad (high priest) at the time of Ardashir I, in response to Gushnasp, king of Tabaristan. ... changes were made to it in later periods, particularly during the reign of Khusrau I. [3]

[1]: (Tafazzoli 1996, 90) Tafazzoli, A. and Khromov, A. L. Sasanian Iran: Intellectual Life. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.82-105. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf

[2]: (Daryaee 2009, 27-37) Daryaee, Touraj. 2009. Sasanian Persia: The Rise and Fall of an Empire. I.B. Tauris. London.

[3]: (Tafazzoli 1996, 88) Tafazzoli, A. and Khromov, A. L. Sasanian Iran: Intellectual Life. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.82-105. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf


109 Umayyad Caliphate present Confident Expert -
[1] John of Damascus c675-749 CE. "Polymath whose fields of interest and contribution included law, theology, philosophy, and music." [2]

[1]: (Lapidus 2002, 68)

[2]: ([1])


110 Abbasid Caliphate I present Confident Expert -
Examples abound, one such being Al-Farabi’s Al-jam’ bayna ra’yay al-hakimayn aflatun al-ilahi-wa arostitalis, translated as ’Harmonizations of the Opinions of Plato and Aristotle’. Another tradition was on the relationship of the philosopher and the city, such as Ibn Sina’s visionary recitals, the Hayy b. Yaqzan. [1] (Governor?) Tahir wrote an advice for rulers for his son, an epistle, which became famous and is copied out in full by al-Tabari in Volume XXXII pages 110-128. [2]

[1]: Young, M. J. L., John Derek Latham, and Robert Bertram Serjeant, eds. Religion, learning and science in the ’abbasid period pp. 76-103

[2]: Bosworth, C E. trans. The History of al-Tabari. Volume XXXII. The Reunification of the Abbasid Caliphate. State University of New York Press


111 Sind - Abbasid-Fatimid Period unknown Suspected Expert -
-
112 Ghur Principality present Confident Expert -
"Literary and artistic activities under the Ghurids likewise followed on from those of the Ghaznavids. The sultans were generous patrons of the Persian literary traditions of Khorasan" [1]

[1]: (Bosworth 2012) Bosworth, Edmund C. 2012. GHURIDS. Encyclopaedia Iranica. http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/ghurids


113 Delhi Sultanate present Confident Expert -
Hindu philosophers Ramananda, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Ramanuja and others. [1]

[1]: (Ahmed 2011, 103) Ahmed, Farooqui Salma. 2011. A Comprehensive History of Medieval India: Twelfth to the Mid-Eighteenth Century. Pearson Education India.


114 Sind - Samma Dynasty unknown Suspected Expert -
-
115 Durrani Empire present Confident Expert -
Makhzan al-Isldm contains discussions of the reality of the phenomenal world. [1]

[1]: Islamic texts in the indigenous languages of Pakistan." Islamic studies 40, no. 1 (2001): 31.


116 Japan - Incipient Jomon absent Confident Expert -
“To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche.” [1]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)


117 Japan - Initial Jomon absent Confident Expert -
“To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche.” [1]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)


118 Japan - Early Jomon absent Confident Expert -
“To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche.” [1]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)


119 Japan - Middle Jomon absent Confident Expert -
“To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche.” [1]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)


120 Japan - Late Jomon absent Inferred Expert -
“To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche.” [1]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)


121 Japan - Final Jomon absent Confident Expert -
“To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche.” [1]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)


122 Kansai - Yayoi Period absent Confident Expert -
"To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche." [1]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)


123 Kansai - Kofun Period absent Inferred Expert 250 CE 399 CE
"To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche." [1] perhaps with Buddhism from 552 CE? The first university (Daigaku-ryō) was founded at the end of the 7th century CE [2]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)

[2]: Brown, Delmer M. 1993. The Cambridge History of Japan Volume 1: Ancient Japan. Cambridge Histories Online Cambridge University Press.p.212-213.


124 Kansai - Kofun Period present Confident Expert 399 CE 537 CE
"To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche." [1] perhaps with Buddhism from 552 CE? The first university (Daigaku-ryō) was founded at the end of the 7th century CE [2]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)

[2]: Brown, Delmer M. 1993. The Cambridge History of Japan Volume 1: Ancient Japan. Cambridge Histories Online Cambridge University Press.p.212-213.


125 Asuka present Confident Expert -
"To all appearances, writing as such, in the form of Chinese Classics, was introduced into Japan early in the fifth century as part of the great cultural influx from Paekche." [1] perhaps with Buddhism from 552 CE? The first university (Daigaku-ryō) was founded at the end of the 7th century CE [2]

[1]: (Frellesvig 2010, 11)

[2]: Brown, Delmer M. 1993. The Cambridge History of Japan Volume 1: Ancient Japan. Cambridge Histories Online Cambridge University Press.p.212-213.


126 Heian present Confident Expert -
’The candidate was obliged to compose two essays in ornate Chinese parallel prose treating problems in such areas as morality, philosophy, and Chinese history.’ [1]

[1]: Shively, Donald H. and McCullough, William H. 2008. The Cambridge History of Japan Volume 2: Heian Japan. Cambridge Histories Online Cambridge University Press.p.371


127 Kamakura Shogunate absent Inferred Expert -
’Unless we make the claim that Buddhism is a philosophy, Japan did not have philosophical systems separate from explicit religious affiliations until the early modern period.’ [1]

[1]: Deal, William E. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford University Press.


128 Ashikaga Shogunate absent Inferred Expert -
’Unless we make the claim that Buddhism is a philosophy, Japan did not have philosophical systems separate from explicit religious affiliations until the early modern period.’ [1]

[1]: Deal, William E. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford University Press.


129 Warring States Japan unknown Suspected Expert -
-
130 Japan - Azuchi-Momoyama absent Inferred Expert -
’Unless we make the claim that Buddhism is a philosophy, Japan did not have philosophical systems separate from explicit religious affiliations until the early modern period.’ [1]

[1]: Deal, William E. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford University Press.


131 Tokugawa Shogunate present Confident Expert -
‘Unless we make the claim that Buddhism is a philosophy, Japan did not have philosophical systems separate from explicit religious affiliations until the early modern period. The Edo period was a time of great intellectual change and development. New ways of thinking were derived from Neo-Confucian, Shinto, and Western sources. Within these three modes of thinking there was a great deal of variation between traditions and many instances of borrowing between traditions. It is Neo-Confucian thought, however, that framed much of the political, social, and moral discourse during the Edo period.’ [1]

[1]: Deal, William E. 2005. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. Oxford University Press.p.222.


132 Iban - Pre-Brooke absent Confident Expert -
-
133 Iban - Brooke Raj and Colonial absent Confident Expert -
SCCS variable 149 ’Writing and Records’ lists no mnemonic devices or nonwritten records or ’True writing, no writing’
134 Konya Plain - Early Neolithic absent Confident Expert -
-
135 Konya Plain - Ceramic Neolithic absent Confident Expert -
-
136 Konya Plain - Late Neolithic absent Confident Expert -
-
137 Konya Plain - Early Chalcolithic absent Inferred Expert -
-
138 Konya Plain - Late Chalcolithic absent Inferred Expert -
-
139 Konya Plain - Early Bronze Age absent Confident Expert -
-
140 Hatti - Old Kingdom unknown Suspected Expert -
-
141 Konya Plain - Late Bronze Age II unknown Suspected Expert -
-
142 Hatti - New Kingdom unknown Suspected Expert -
-
143 Phrygian Kingdom unknown Suspected Expert -
-
144 Kingdom of Lydia present Confident Expert -
Philosophy. From the Aegean region, which includes Greek cities of Lydia on the coast of Western Asia Minor: "By the 6th century BC, writing was widespread there and, thanks to the later reverence for Greek culture, huge amounts survive in transmission beyond that on archaeologically durable media. In addition to poetry, dedications, laws, mathematics and philosophy ... historians" [1]

[1]: (Broodbank 2015, 536) Broodbank, Cyprian. 2015. The Making of the Middle Sea. Thames & Hudson. London.


145 Lysimachus Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
Greek intellectual world.
146 Rum Sultanate present Confident Expert -
Most books written in Anatolia during reign of Kayqubad I “were books and treatises relating to philosophy and natural sciences” [1]

[1]: Yasar Ocak, Ahmet. “Social, Cultural and Intellectual Life, 1071 - 1453.” In The Cambridge History of Turkey, edited by Kate Fleet, Suraiya Faroqhi, and Reşat Kasaba, 353-422. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.p.420


147 Ilkhanate present Confident Expert -
Philosopher and astronomer Nasir al-Din Tusi. [1]

[1]: (Pfeiffer 2006, 174) Pfeiffer, Judith in Woods, John E. Pfeiffer, Judith. Quinn, Sholeh Alysia. Tucker, Ernest eds. 2006. History and Historiography of Post-Mongol Central Asia and the Middle East: Studies in Honor of John E. Woods. Otto Harrassowitz Verlag.


148 Ottoman Emirate present Inferred Expert -
Literate society: "The first Ottoman college was established in Iznik in 1331, when scholars were invited from Iran and Egypt to augment Muslim instruction in the new territories." [1] The Ottomans integrated the traditions of classical Arabic and Persian literature - but original own works start mostly in the later period. [2]

[1]: (Lapidus 2012, 440)

[2]: Personal communication. Johannes Preiser-Kapeller. 2016. Institute for Medieval Research. Division of Byzantine Research. Austrian Academy of Sciences.


149 Ottoman Empire I present Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: (Agoston and Masters 2009, 338)


150 Ottoman Empire II present Confident Expert -
[1]

[1]: (Agoston and Masters 2009, 338) Gabor Agoston and Bruce Masters. 2009. Encyclopedia of the Ottoman Empire. New York: Facts On File, Inc.


151 Ottoman Empire III present Inferred Expert -
inferred continuity with earlier phases of this polity
152 Latium - Copper Age absent Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the fact that "most [Italian peoples before the Romans] were not even literate" [1] .

[1]: T.J. Cornell, The Beginnings of Rome (1995), p. 37


153 Latium - Bronze Age absent Inferred Expert -
Inferred from the fact that "most [Italian peoples before the Romans] were not even literate" [1] .

[1]: T.J. Cornell, The Beginnings of Rome (1995), p. 37


154 Latium - Iron Age absent Inferred Expert -
-
155 Early Roman Republic present Inferred Expert -
Intellectual culture and Greek cultural inheritance.
156 Middle Roman Republic present Inferred Expert -
Intellectual culture and Greek cultural inheritance.
157 Late Roman Republic present Confident Expert -
Cicero’s works "transformed language" (ie. Latin). [1] Lucretius (99 - 55 BCE), De rerum natura (published 50 BCE), Epicurean philosophy [2] Cicero’s views on natural law and innate rights later influenced the Renaissance and Enlightenment through Petrarch.

[1]: (Stearns 2001)

[2]: [11]


158 Western Roman Empire - Late Antiquity present Confident Expert -
-
159 Ostrogothic Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Boethius (c480-525 CE), The Consolation of Philosophy. "Before he became consul in 510, Boethius translated into Latin many Greek works, including writings from Pythagorus, Ptolmey, Nicomachus, Euclid, Plato, and Aristotle." [1] Cassiodorus and Boethius considered "two ’giants’ of Ostrogothic intellectual and literary history". [2]

[1]: (Burns 1991, 101)

[2]: (Arnold, Bjornlie and Sessa 2016, 11) Arnold, Jonathan J. Bjornlie, Shane M. Sessa, Kristina. eds. 2016. A Companion to Ostrogothic Italy. BRILL. Leiden.


160 Exarchate of Ravenna present Inferred Expert -
-
161 Republic of St Peter I present Inferred Expert -
In Latin Christendom, this was the era of Alcuin who was based in Carolingian France, Leo the Mathematician who was the archbishop of Thessalonica. In Italy, there was Paul the Deacon. [1] Born, Fruili Italy 720 CE, he was the first important medieval historian. A member of the Lombard nobility. [2]

[1]: (Bowersock et al. 1999, 547)

[2]: (Stearns 2001 173)


162 Rome - Republic of St Peter II present Confident Expert -
-
163 Papal States - High Medieval Period present Confident Expert -
Thomas Aquinas. Natural theology. JFR: Aquinas was born at Roccasecca, which is in Lazio. His family was a baronial family, the d’Aquino.
164 Papal States - Renaissance Period present Confident Expert -
The writings of Baldassare Castiglione on metaphysics are an example of philosophy from the period.
165 Papal States - Early Modern Period I present Confident Expert -
-
166 Papal States - Early Modern Period II present Confident Expert -
Benedict XIV issued the "Immensa Pastorum Principis" a papal bull against the enslavement of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and other countries.
167 Sakha - Early absent Confident Expert -
-
168 Sakha - Late absent Confident Expert -
-
169 Shuar - Colonial absent Confident Expert -
-
170 Shuar - Ecuadorian absent Confident Expert -
SCCS variable 149 ’Writing and Records’ is coded as ‘1’ or ‘None’, not ‘Mnemonic devices’, or ‘Nonwritten records’, or ’True writing, no records’, or ‘True writing; records’
171 Egypt - New Kingdom Thutmosid Period present Inferred Expert -
The Duties of the Vizier TT 100. "Ancient Egyptians had a strict code of ethics as expressed by the New Kingdom Instructions of Amenemope who lived during the reign of Amenhotep III18. The instructions of Amenemope commanded respect for dwarfs and other individuals with handicapping conditions". [1]

[1]: (Kozma 2006) Kozma, Chahira. February 16 2006. Dwarfs in ancient Egypt. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. Volume 140A. Issue 4. 302-311.


172 Egypt - New Kingdom Ramesside Period present Confident Expert -
JGM: on the absence of philosophy, often noted, I would hesitate about. Or do we mean here "non-religious"? Clearly there was a well thought out Philosophy/Theology, preserved in temple texts still for many temples unpublished. See for example: R.B. Finnestad, Image of the world and symbol of the creator. Harrassowitz, 1985. (Thut III - Am II period). "Inscription from the tomb of Vizier Rh-mi-r’" states the duties of the vizier. [1] "Ancient Egyptians had a strict code of ethics as expressed by the New Kingdom Instructions of Amenemope who lived during the reign of Amenhotep III18. The instructions of Amenemope commanded respect for dwarfs and other individuals with handicapping conditions". [2]

[1]: (Pagliari 2012, 725-726) Pagliari, Giulia. 2012. Function and significance of ancient Egyptian royal palaces from the Middle Kingdom to the Saite period: a lexicographical study and its possible connection with the archaeological evidence. Ph.D. thesis. University of Birmingham.

[2]: (Kozma 2006) Kozma, Chahira. February 16 2006. Dwarfs in ancient Egypt. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. Volume 140A. Issue 4. 302-311.


173 Egypt - Thebes-Libyan Period present Inferred Expert -
Libraries in temples. Literature Egyptian priests had libraries in temples.
174 Egypt - Saite Period present Inferred Expert -
Text known as the "Instructions of ’nh-Ssnky (C.III.1)" which contain maxims. [1] ’nh-Ssnky is the author. However not all scholars date text to Saite Period. [2] Instructions of Chasheshonqy. [3]

[1]: (Pagliari 2012, 191) Pagliari, Giulia. 2012. Function and significance of ancient Egyptian royal palaces from the Middle Kingdom to the Saite period: a lexicographical study and its possible connection with the archaeological evidence. Ph.D. thesis. University of Birmingham.

[2]: (Pagliari 2012, 192) Pagliari, Giulia. 2012. Function and significance of ancient Egyptian royal palaces from the Middle Kingdom to the Saite period: a lexicographical study and its possible connection with the archaeological evidence. Ph.D. thesis. University of Birmingham.

[3]: (Agut-Labordere 2013, 696) Agut-Labordere, Damien. "The Saite Period: The Emergence of A Mediterranean Power." in Garcia, Juan Carlos Moreno ed. 2013. Ancient Egyptian Administration. BRILL.


175 Egypt - Inter-Occupation Period present Inferred Expert -
"On the contrary, the assertion of continuity with older tradition is combined with the exercise of considerable invention and originality both in materials and iconography, producing some of the most remarkable sculpture in the entire pharaonic corpus. For other spheres of cultural activity there is sometimes an unnerving lacuna in extant material—there are, for example, no literary texts securely dated to this period. For all that, close analysis of such evidence as we do possess confirms that Egyptian society and civilization as a whole were characterized by the same traits as the visual arts. We routinely encounter features with which the student of earlier periods will be completely familiar." [1]

[1]: (Lloyd 2000, 383)


176 Numidia present Inferred -
-
177 Ptolemaic Kingdom II present Confident Expert -
Aristarchus of Samothrace (c.217-145 BCE) in "literary scholarship." [1]

[1]: (Lloyd 2000, 400)


178 Axum I present Inferred Expert -
"Aksumite rulers who often spoke and read in Greek, put great store in written documents and in libraries to keep them". [1] "The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, around 50 CE, "describes the ruler of the region, King Zoscales, as ’well versed in Hellenic sciences’. This would naturally require fluency in Greek, the lingua-franca of the ancient economy." [2] No data on written documents but it is likely that they existed, especially in Greek along the parts of the coast engaged in trade with the Greek-speaking world, if not also further inland at the capital Aksum in Ge’ez - or its precursor language - with documents relating to the local religion and the state.

[1]: (Murray 2009) Stuart A P Murray. 2009. The Library: An Illustrated History. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

[2]: (Glazier and Peacock 2016) Darren Glazier. David Peacock. Historical background and previous investigations. David Peacock. Lucy Blue. eds. 2016. The Ancient Red Sea Port of Adulis, Eritrea: Results of the Eritro-British Expedition, 2004-5. Oxbow Books. Oxford.


179 Mauretania present Inferred -
-
180 Axum II uncoded Undecided -
-
181 Makuria Kingdom I unknown Suspected -
-
182 Axum III uncoded Undecided -
-
183 Makuria Kingdom II present Inferred -
-
184 Middle Wagadu Empire absent Confident Expert -
"There are no written records of any description to throw light on the history of West Africa before 900 A.D." [1] "The West Africans who laid the foundations of their medieval empires during the centuries before 900 C.E. did not develop a written language they could use to record historical events." [2] Oldest example of writing in West Africa c1100 CE tomb inscription at Gao. [3]

[1]: (Bovill 1958, 51) Bovill, E W. 1958/1995. The Golden Trade of the Moors. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

[2]: (Conrad 2010, 13) Conrad, D. C. 2010. Empires of Medieval West Africa. Revised Edition. Chelsea House Publishers. New York.

[3]: (Davidson 1998, 44) Davidson, Basil. 1998. West Africa Before the Colonial Era. Routledge. London.


185 Tahert unknown Suspected -
-
186 Idrisids unknown Suspected -
-
187 Makuria Kingdom III present Inferred -
-
188 Fatimid Caliphate present Confident Expert -
[1] Under the Fatimids scholars made Cairo "the global centre of Arabic letters and learning. Cairo was likewise the seat ot the religious establishment, of sophisticated, learned, juridical and philosophical Islam. Its al-Azhar mosque was the premier university of the Islamic world." [2]

[1]: (Oliver 1977, 21)

[2]: (Oliver and Atmore 2001, 15) Oliver R and Atmore A. 2001. Medieval Africa 1250-1800. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


189 Zirids present Inferred -
-
190 Later Wagadu Empire unknown Suspected Expert -
-
191 Banu Ghaniya unknown Suspected -
-
192 Zagwe unknown Suspected -
-
193 Mali Empire present Inferred Expert -
al-Maghili was "a North African who wrote a book of advice about new methods of government for the benefit of King Muhammad Rumfa of the Hausa state of Kano in about 1490. He called his book The Duties of Kings." [1]

[1]: (Davidson 1998, 154) Davidson, Basil. 1998. West Africa Before the Colonial Era. Routledge. London.


194 Tlemcen present Confident -
-
195 Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate I present Inferred Expert -
Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406 CE) resident in slightly later period which suggests the literate culture may have been producing philosophical works at this time.
196 Malacca Sultanate unknown Suspected -
-
197 Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate II present Confident Expert -
Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406 CE) resident in this period.
198 Egypt - Mamluk Sultanate III present Inferred Expert -
Highly literature society.
199 Wattasid present Inferred -
-
200 Kingdom of Congo unknown Suspected -
-
201 Songhai Empire - Askiya Dynasty present Inferred Expert -
"Timbuktu flourished as a center of Arabic and Islamic sciences." [1] al-Maghili was "a North African who wrote a book of advice about new methods of government for the benefit of King Muhammad Rumfa of the Hausa state of Kano in about 1490. He called his book The Duties of Kings." [2]

[1]: (Lapidus 2012, 593)

[2]: (Davidson 1998, 154) Davidson, Basil. 1998. West Africa Before the Colonial Era. Routledge. London.


202 Late Shang unknown Suspected Expert -
Unknown. The Shang wrote on perishable materials, such as bamboo and silk. [1]

[1]: (The Shang Dynasty, 1600 to 1050 BCE. Spice Digest, Fall 2007. http://iis-db.stanford.edu/docs/117/ShangDynasty.pdf)


203 Western Zhou unknown Suspected Expert -
Unknown. Philosophy in China is thought to have originated in Spring and Autumn period but philosophical works cannot be ruled out at earlier time, although this time certainly was not a "golden age" for philosophy.
204 Jin present Confident Expert -
religious and political philosophy, esp. Confucianism, developed in this period [1]

[1]: (Hsu 1999, 545)


205 Chu Kingdom - Spring and Autumn Period present Inferred -
-
206 Chu Kingdom - Warring States Period present Inferred -
-
207 Qin Empire present Confident -
-
208 Western Han Empire present Confident Expert -
Dong Zhongshu - philiosopher. "Chunqiu fanlu". [1]

[1]: (Roberts 2003, 50)


209 Eastern Han Empire present Confident Expert -
Wang Fu (90-165 CE) wrote "Qianfu Lun". Contained chapter "On excessive luxury." [1]

[1]: (Roberts 2003, 56-60)


210 Western Jin present Inferred Expert -
"the Western Jin, at least before 300, was a period of remarkable intellectual, scholarly, and literary activity." [1] Huangfu Mi (215-282 CE) was a physician.

[1]: (Knechtges 2010, 183) Knechtges, David R. in Chang, Kang-i Sun. Ownen, Stephen. 2010. The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press.


211 Later Yan Kingdom present Confident -
-
212 Later Qin Kingdom present Confident -
-
213 Northern Wei present Inferred Expert -
-
214 Southern Qi State present Confident -
-
215 Sui Dynasty present Inferred Expert -
Highly literate society.
216 Tang Dynasty I present Inferred Expert -
-
217 Nara Kingdom present Confident Expert -
’Educated Japanese of the Nara period did not emulate the Chinese in writing philosophical works’ but there were original Chinese works in circulation ’immigrant scholars who introduced the best that continental civilization could offer in written form: the Buddhist sacred scriptures; Chinese works on government, history, and philosophy’ [1]

[1]: Mason, Richard Henry Pitt. 1997. A History of Japan: Revised Edition. Tuttle Publishing.p.55


218 Tang Dynasty II present Confident Expert -
"Han Yu (768-824), although known also as a poet, was much more famous as an essayist. He was a thoroughgoing fundamentalist Confucianist and a bitter opponent of Buddhism. Although he had little influence in his own time, he was regarded as one of the principal thinkers responsible for the restoration of Confucianism, as the precursor and patron saint of the Neo-Confucianists." [1]

[1]: (Rodzinski 1979, 136)


219 Jin Dynasty present Confident Expert -
-
220 Great Yuan present Confident Expert -
-
221 Great Ming present Confident Expert -
e.g. Confucian philosophy. Under the Ming, sectarian scriptures appeared during the same movement used to reinforce popular religion under the Mandate of Heaven. These scriptures produced new vernacular literature of all types, morality books of Neo-Confucian values and philosophical thought. [1]

[1]: (Adler, 2005)


222 Third Scythian Kingdom present Inferred -
-
223 Xiongnu Imperial Confederation unknown Suspected Expert -
Literacy very low. Were there any readers of literature?
224 Kangju unknown Suspected -
-
225 Late Xiongnu unknown Suspected Expert -
Literacy very low. Were there any readers of literature?
226 Rouran Khaganate unknown Suspected Expert -
"Buddhist learning flourished." [1]

[1]: (Kyzlasov 1996, 317)


227 Western Turk Khaganate present Inferred Expert -
present for preceding Hepthalites. literate class under Roman and Indian influence.
228 Eastern Turk Khaganate unknown Suspected Expert -
-
229 Avar Khaganate unknown Suspected -
-
230 Uigur Khaganate unknown Suspected Expert -
-
231 Samanid Empire present Confident Expert -
Abu Nasr Muhammad al-Farabi (870-950 CE). "A native of Otrar in modern Kazakhstan ... revered in the East as “The Second Teacher,” after Aristotle. A great expounder of logic, Farabi set out the foundations of every sphere of knowledge." [1] -- move, based in Baghdad

[1]: (Starr 2013) Starr, S. Frederick. 2013. Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia’s Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane. Princeton University Press. Princeton.


232 Khitan I present Inferred Expert -
"The Khitan now began to loot the capital thoroughly. It was decided to take back to Manchuria the entire body of Chin officials. This proved impossible, but in the third month of 947 they began shipping off to the Supreme Capital the personnel of the main ministries, the palace women, eunuchs, diviners, and artisans in their thousands; books, maps; astronomical charts, instruments, and astronomers; musical treatises and ceremonial musical instruments; the imperial carriages and ritual impedimenta; the weapons and armor from the arsenals; and even the copies of the Confucian classics engraved on stone slabs." [1]

[1]: (Twitchett, D.C. and K. Tietze. 1994. The Liao. In Franke, H. and D.C. Twitchett (eds) The Cambridge History of China Volume 6: Alien Regimes and Border States, 907-1368 pp. 43-153. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. P. 73-74)


233 Kara-Khanids present Confident Expert -
Yusuf Balasaguni(Yusuf of Balasagun): "Author in 1069 of the Wisdom of Royal Glory, a guide for rulers and an essay on ethics. ... Yusuf’s volume for the first time brought a Turkic language into the mainstream of Mediterranean civilization and thought. A native of Balasagun in present-day Kyrgyzstan, he died near Kashgar in Xinjiang, China." [1] "Examples of Diplomacy in the Aims of Government by a Samarkand writer named Muhammad bin Ali al-Katib". [1]

[1]: (Starr 2013) Starr, S. Frederick. 2013. Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia’s Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane. Princeton University Press. Princeton.


234 Kingdom of Georgia II unknown Suspected -
-
235 Xixia present Inferred -
-
236 Khwarezmid Empire present Confident -
The Khwarazmian empire had many theologians and literary scholars. [1] Fakhr al-Din Razi wrote a historical summary of ideas from Muslim theologians in the Muhassil afkdr al-mutaqaddimin. [2] However, many strict Sunni Muslims condemned philosophy as it did not follow the teachings of the Qu’ran and was considered heresy. [3] [4]

[1]: Boyle 1968: 142. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/CFW8EE6Q

[2]: Boyle 1968: 287. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/CFW8EE6Q

[3]: Boyle 1968: 560. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/CFW8EE6Q

[4]: Barthold 1968: 428. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/2CHVZMEB


237 Chagatai Khanate present Confident Expert -
Ali Qushji (1402-1474 CE): "Son of Ulughbeg’s falconer and later a renowned astronomer, founder of Ottoman astronomy, and author of a ringing defense of astronomy’s autonomy from philosophy." [1]

[1]: (Starr 2013) Starr, S. Frederick. 2013. Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia’s Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane. Princeton University Press. Princeton.


238 Kazan Khanate unknown Suspected -
-
239 Crimean Khanate unknown Suspected -
-
240 Tudor and Early Stuart England present Confident -
Philosophy was increasingly popular among the upper class and educated during this period. [1] “[Queen] Elizabeth was also, like her father, something of a scholar: she once translated Boethius’s On the Consolations of Philosophy into English for her own amusement.” [2]

[1]: (Bucholz et al 2013: 171) Bucholz, Robert, Newton Key, and R.O. Bucholz. 2013. Early Modern England 1485-1714: A Narrative History. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uvic/detail.action?docID=1166775. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/XQGJH96U

[2]: (Bucholz et al 2013: 117) Bucholz, Robert, Newton Key, and R.O. Bucholz. 2013. Early Modern England 1485-1714: A Narrative History. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons. http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uvic/detail.action?docID=1166775. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/XQGJH96U


241 Early Merovingian present Inferred Expert -
"The contribution of Merovingian culture to the history of philosophy was basically that of preserving the scholarship of the ancients." [1]

[1]: (Vanderjagt in Kibler et al 1995, 1385)


242 Middle Merovingian present Inferred Expert -
"Especially illustrative of this period is the dispute between Pope Gregory the Great (ca. 540-604) and Desiderius (Didier) of Vienne (fl. 596-601) on the love for and merits of pagan classical, particularly Greek, literature, grammar, and rhetoric. Gregory set the stage for medieval intellectual life by claiming that the liberal arts and what we today would call philosophical methodology are indispensable for the correct interpretation of the written Word of God but that they should be used for that purpose alone. Elements of the classical tradition were, however, preserved in the works of men like Gregory of Tours (d. 594) and Venantius Fortunatus (540-600), who died as bishop of Poitiers." [1]

[1]: (Vanderjagt in Kibler et al 1995, 1384)


243 Bulgaria - Early absent Inferred -
-
244 Carolingian Empire I present Confident Expert -
These works were mostly editions of classical authors
245 Carolingian Empire II present Confident Expert -
"Charles the Bald (r. 840-77) can be seen as France’s first great patron of philosophy, for in 860 it was he who asked Johannes Scottus Eriugena (d. 877) to translate this collection of Neoplatonic works into Latin. Perhaps most noteworthy in Pseudo-Dionysius’s work is the idea that evil qua evil is nonexistent; evil must be regarded merely as a lack of goodness, and it can therefore be described only in negative terms. On the other hand, God as Essence par excellence can never be adequately described in nonessential language. In this way, the foundation was laid down for the reception of ideas of learned ignorance that played an important role especially in medieval philosophical and theological mysticism, such as that of the Victorines in the 12th century and the Parisian Lullists of the late 14th." [1]

[1]: (Vanderjagt in Kibler et al 1995, 1385)


246 Bulgaria - Middle present Inferred -
-
247 French Kingdom - Early Valois present Confident Expert -
Nicholas of Autrecourt (ca. 1300-after 1350) on Aristotelian scholasticism [1]

[1]: (Vanderjagt in Kibler et al 1995, 1388-1389)


248 Grand Principality of Moscow, Rurikid Dynasty absent Confident -
-
249 Kassite Babylonia present Confident Expert -
Wisdom literature. [1]

[1]: Liverani, M. 2014. The Ancient Near East: History, Society and Economy. London: Routledge. p.373


250 Greco-Bactrian Kingdom present Inferred Expert -
works of Greek philosophical heritage?
251 Himyar I unknown Suspected Expert -
"South Arabia was an independent high culture comparable with those of Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt." [1]

[1]: (Retso 2005, 344) Jan Retso. in Johann P Arnason. S N Eisenstady. Bjorn Wittrock. 2005. Axial Civilizations And World History. BRILL. Leiden.


252 Himyar II unknown Suspected Expert -
"South Arabia was an independent high culture comparable with those of Mesopotamia, Syria and Egypt." [1]

[1]: (Retso 2005, 344) Jan Retso. in Johann P Arnason. S N Eisenstady. Bjorn Wittrock. 2005. Axial Civilizations And World History. BRILL. Leiden.


253 Saffarid Caliphate present Confident -
From the tenth century onwards philosophy and the philosophical sciences were particularly popular at court, and many of those scholars were leading figures of court life. [1]

[1]: ”Saffarids.” https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/ZU3IU97Q.


254 Egypt - Tulunid-Ikhshidid Period present Inferred Expert -
Not sure which location or period this refers to: "A fully developed ’theory of warfare’ appeared, with books written on all aspects. [1]

[1]: (Nicolle and Hook 1998, 3) Nicolle D, Hook A. 1998. Armies of the Caliphates 862-1098. Osprey Publishing.


255 Buyid Confederation present Inferred Expert -
Philosophers were present in society; therefore, in a society with a significant written record, it can be inferred that they wrote down their philosophy. [1]

[1]: Donohue, J. J. 2003. The Buwayhud Dynasty in Iraq 334H./945 to 403H./1012: Shaping Institutions for the Future. Leiden: Brill. p.167


256 Ghaznavid Empire present Inferred -
-
257 Seljuk Sultanate present Confident Expert -
Nizam al-Mulk wrote Siyasatnama (Book of Government). In tradition of the "Mirrors for princes" [1] writings of Persian authors giving advice to kings. Mirrors for Princes "do not venture upon systematic treatment of the problems of government and of state and society. Such treatment was indeed attempted by Abu Yusuf (d. 182/798), Mawardi, and other lawyers, whose approach is strictly rational within the limits of their doctrinal postulates, and by Farabi (d. 339/950) and subsequent philosophers, who attempted to reconcile Platonic theories with Islamic concepts. Authors of ’Mirrors’, however, keep clear of both constitutional law and political theory, and simply take for granted the existence of an Islamic state in whatever form they themselves knew it." [2] Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE): "Theologian and philosopher from Tus in what is now Iranian Khurasan, and author of The Incoherence of the Philosophers, which threw down the gauntlet to rationalism." [3] Ḥasan Ghaznavi wrote philosophy in Arabic and Persian. [4] Nizam al-Mulk (1018-1092 CE) (or Abu Ali al-Hasan ibn Ali) a "powerful Seljuk vizier from Tus who railed against the Ismailis in his Book of Government" [3] Ghazali (1058-1111 CE). [3]

[1]: Bagley, F. R. C. trans. Huma’i, Jalal and Isaacs, H. D. eds. 1964. Ghazali’s Book of Counsel for Kings (Nasihat Al-Muluk). Oxford University Press. London.

[2]: (Bagley trans. 1964, xi) Bagley, F. R. C. trans. Huma’i, Jalal and Isaacs, H. D. eds. 1964. Ghazali’s Book of Counsel for Kings (Nasihat Al-Muluk). Oxford University Press. London.

[3]: (Starr 2013) Starr, S. Frederick. 2013. Lost Enlightenment: Central Asia’s Golden Age from the Arab Conquest to Tamerlane. Princeton University Press. Princeton.

[4]: Daniela Meneghini ’SALJUQS v. SALJUQID LITERATURE’ http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/saljuqs-v


258 Ayyubid Sultanate present Confident Expert -
Damascus was the intellectual centre of the empire. [1]

[1]: (Humphreys 1977, 24)


259 Timurid Empire present Inferred Expert -
Inferred from presence of great thinkers such as scientists and historians.
260 Safavid Empire present Confident Expert -
e.g. Mir Damad "“wrote on a variety of topics, his main interest was in the field of philosophy, where he attempted to bring together the philosophies of Avicenna and Suhrawardi. He also had an interest in the philosophies of time" [1] Abbas I funded philosophers. [2]

[1]: 1. Sholeh A. Quinn, ‘Iran under Safavid Rule’, in David O. Morgan and Anthony Reid (eds), The New Cambridge History of Islam: Volume 3. The Eastern Islamic World, Eleventh to Eighteenth Centuries (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010), 223.

[2]: (Newman 2009) Newman, Andrew J. 2009. Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire. I.B. Tauris. New York.


261 Bagan present Inferred -
-
262 Sukhotai unknown Suspected -
-
263 Malacca Sultanate present Inferred -
-
264 Mahajanapada era absent Inferred Expert -
Although ethics (ekayana), dialectics (vakovakya), and spiritual knowledge are all topics referred to in the Chandagya Upanishad (7.1.2), later written down [1]

[1]: Singh, Upinder, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century (New Delhi: Pearson Education, 2008, p.199.


265 Gupta Empire present Confident Expert -
"Schools of philosophy theorized about cosmology, human and divine natures and the relation between them, the modes of knowledge that create ignorance and bondage, and the ways to reach higher knowledge and liberation." [1]

[1]: Shattuck, C. 1999. Hinduism p. 41. London: Routledge.


266 Chauhana Dynasty present Confident -
-
267 Bengal Sultanate present Confident -
-
268 Yangshao absent Confident Expert -
Writing may have been invented in the Longshan [1] , no evidence for earlier writing in earlier times.

[1]: (Chang 1999, 64)


269 Erlitou unknown Suspected Expert -
Unknown. "normally it is only after writing comes to be used for display that archaeology begins to find traces of it. Because administrative documents were almost certainly written on perishable materials like bamboo and papyrus, we will probably never find them." [1]

[1]: (Wang 2014, 179) Wang, Haicheng. 2014. Writing and the Ancient State: Early China in Comparative Perspective. Cambridge University Press.


270 Erligang unknown Suspected Expert -
Unknown. "normally it is only after writing comes to be used for display that archaeology begins to find traces of it." [1]

[1]: (Wang 2014, 179) Wang, Haicheng. 2014. Writing and the Ancient State: Early China in Comparative Perspective. Cambridge University Press.


271 Eastern Zhou present Inferred -
-
272 Early Wei Dynasty present Inferred Expert -
Clear that each Warring State kingdom kept records and produced a great deal of political, philosophical, and religious work; most literature from this period was destroyed in various wars however, and ultimately systematically destroyed by Qin and later Han Empires, though parts of the works produced in this period were adapted or transmitted to later authors.
273 Northern Song present Confident Expert -
Neo-Confucian revival. [1] Lixue or Xing li xue was "a new formulation of Confucian ethics and metaphysics." [2] There was "a brilliant flowering of philosophy. Over several centuries it focused on the nature (xing) of humans and of things, and on the mind (xin) more than on the more directly practical issues regarding social order and the state which had been central to Confucian thought and practice from its early beginnings." [2]

[1]: (Mote 2003, 119) Mote, Frederick W. 2003. Imperial China: 900-1800. Harvard University Press.

[2]: (Mote 2003, 135) Mote, Frederick W. 2003. Imperial China: 900-1800. Harvard University Press.


274 Southern Song present Confident -
-
275 Jenne-jeno I absent Confident Expert -
"There are no written records of any description to throw light on the history of West Africa before 900 A.D." [1] "The West Africans who laid the foundations of their medieval empires during the centuries before 900 C.E. did not develop a written language they could use to record historical events." [2] Oldest example of writing in West Africa c1100 CE tomb inscription at Gao. [3]

[1]: (Bovill 1958, 51) Bovill, E W. 1958/1995. The Golden Trade of the Moors. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

[2]: (Conrad 2010, 13) Conrad, D. C. 2010. Empires of Medieval West Africa. Revised Edition. Chelsea House Publishers. New York.

[3]: (Davidson 1998, 44) Davidson, Basil. 1998. West Africa Before the Colonial Era. Routledge. London.


276 Jenne-jeno II absent Confident Expert -
"There are no written records of any description to throw light on the history of West Africa before 900 A.D." [1] "The West Africans who laid the foundations of their medieval empires during the centuries before 900 C.E. did not develop a written language they could use to record historical events." [2] Oldest example of writing in West Africa c1100 CE tomb inscription at Gao. [3]

[1]: (Bovill 1958, 51) Bovill, E W. 1958/1995. The Golden Trade of the Moors. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

[2]: (Conrad 2010, 13) Conrad, D. C. 2010. Empires of Medieval West Africa. Revised Edition. Chelsea House Publishers. New York.

[3]: (Davidson 1998, 44) Davidson, Basil. 1998. West Africa Before the Colonial Era. Routledge. London.


277 Early Wagadu Empire absent Inferred -
-
278 Jenne-jeno III absent Confident Expert -
"There are no written records of any description to throw light on the history of West Africa before 900 A.D." [1] "The West Africans who laid the foundations of their medieval empires during the centuries before 900 C.E. did not develop a written language they could use to record historical events." [2] Oldest example of writing in West Africa c1100 CE tomb inscription at Gao. [3]

[1]: (Bovill 1958, 51) Bovill, E W. 1958/1995. The Golden Trade of the Moors. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

[2]: (Conrad 2010, 13) Conrad, D. C. 2010. Empires of Medieval West Africa. Revised Edition. Chelsea House Publishers. New York.

[3]: (Davidson 1998, 44) Davidson, Basil. 1998. West Africa Before the Colonial Era. Routledge. London.


279 Jenne-jeno IV absent Confident Expert -
"There are no written records of any description to throw light on the history of West Africa before 900 A.D." [1] "The West Africans who laid the foundations of their medieval empires during the centuries before 900 C.E. did not develop a written language they could use to record historical events." [2] Oldest example of writing in West Africa c1100 CE tomb inscription at Gao. [3]

[1]: (Bovill 1958, 51) Bovill, E W. 1958/1995. The Golden Trade of the Moors. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

[2]: (Conrad 2010, 13) Conrad, D. C. 2010. Empires of Medieval West Africa. Revised Edition. Chelsea House Publishers. New York.

[3]: (Davidson 1998, 44) Davidson, Basil. 1998. West Africa Before the Colonial Era. Routledge. London.


280 Saadi Sultanate present Inferred Expert -
There was an intellectual culture.
281 Segou Kingdom absent Inferred Expert -
Scholars use oral tradition to help reconstruct life in the Segou kingdom. [1] The polity may not have used written documents but there were written documents in the semi-autonomous, Islamic ’marka’ towns, populated by Soninke and other Mande-speakers.

[1]: (Monroe and Ogundiran 2012) J Cameron Monroe. Akinwumi Ogundiran. Power and Landscape in Atlantic West Africa. J Cameron Monroe. Akinwumi Ogundiran. eds. 2012. Power and Landscape in Atlantic West Africa: Archaeological Perspectives.Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


282 Neguanje absent Confident Expert -
"None of the native peoples developed a system of writing comparable to that of the Mayas, and much less would the Spaniards encounter a native empire such as that of either the Aztecs or Incas. By 1500 A.D., the most advanced of the indigenous peoples were two Chibcha groups: the Taironas and the Muiscas." [1]

[1]: (Hudson 2010, 5)


283 Tairona absent Confident Expert -
None of the native peoples developed a system of writing comparable to that of the Mayas, and much less would the Spaniards encounter a native empire such as that of either the Aztecs or Incas. By 1500 A.D., the most advanced of the indigenous peoples were two Chibcha groups: the Taironas and the Muiscas." [1]

[1]: (Hudson 2010, 5)


284 Early Xiongnu unknown Suspected Expert -
Literacy very low. Were there any readers of literature?
285 Xianbei Confederation absent Inferred Expert -
"According to the Sanguo zhi [Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms], because Kebineng’s lands were near the Chinese border, many Chinese people (Zhongguo ren 中國人) fled the warlord depredations of late Han and Three Kingdoms China to join Kebineng, teaching the Xianbei how to make Chinese-style arms and armor, and even introducing some literacy." [1]

[1]: (Holcombe 2013, 7-8)


286 Second Turk Khaganate unknown Suspected Expert -
-
287 Early Mongols absent Confident Expert -
-
288 Orokaiva - Pre-Colonial absent Confident Expert -
Written records were introduced by colonial authorities and missions.
289 Orokaiva - Colonial absent Confident Expert -
SCCS variable 149 ’Writing and Records’ is coded as ‘1’ or ‘None’, not ‘Mnemonic devices’, or ‘Nonwritten records’, or ’True writing, no records’, or ‘True writing; records’
290 Beaker Culture unknown Suspected Expert -
-
291 Atlantic Complex unknown Suspected Expert -
No information found in sources so far.
292 Hallstatt A-B1 unknown Suspected Expert -
-
293 Hallstatt B2-3 unknown Suspected Expert -
-
294 Hallstatt C unknown Suspected Expert -
-
295 Hallstatt D unknown Suspected Expert -
-
296 La Tene A-B1 absent Inferred Expert -
" Druids did not commit their philosophy to writing, no record exists to explain how the Celts perceived their world." [1]

[1]: (Allen 2007, 100)


297 La Tene B2-C1 absent Inferred Expert -
"Druids did not commit their philosophy to writing, no record exists to explain how the Celts perceived their world." [1]

[1]: (Allen 2007, 100)


298 La Tene C2-D absent Inferred Expert -
"Druids did not commit their philosophy to writing, no record exists to explain how the Celts perceived their world." [1]

[1]: (Allen 2007, 100)


299 Proto-Carolingian present Inferred Expert -
"The contribution of Merovingian culture to the history of philosophy was basically that of preserving the scholarship of the ancients." [1]

[1]: (Vanderjagt in Kibler et al 1995, 1385)


300 Proto-French Kingdom present Confident Expert -
Schools of Paris early 1140s CE: Abélard, Albéric de Monte, Robert of Melun, Peter Helias, Adam du Petit-Pont, Gilbert of Poitiers, Thierry of Chartres, and Peter Lombard. [1]

[1]: (Radding 1995, 1775-1779)


301 French Kingdom - Late Capetian present Confident Expert -
Schools of Paris early 1140s CE: Abélard, Albéric de Monte, Robert of Melun, Peter Helias, Adam du Petit-Pont, Gilbert of Poitiers, Thierry of Chartres, and Peter Lombard. [1]

[1]: (Radding 1995, 1775-1779)


302 French Kingdom - Late Valois present Confident Expert -
-
303 French Kingdom - Early Bourbon present Confident Expert -
Jean de Silhon (1596-1667 CE) founding member French Academy.
304 French Kingdom - Late Bourbon present Confident Expert -
Voltaire (1694-1778 CE) and other Philosophes. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778 CE). Quesnay (1694-1774 CE). Montesquieu (1689-1755 CE). Condorcet (1743-1794 CE).
305 Sarazm absent Confident Expert -
"The Achaemenids brought writing to Sogdiana, and the written language long remained the Aramaic of the Achaemenid Empire." [1]

[1]: (De la Vaissière 2005, 17)


306 Andronovo absent Confident Expert -
"The Achaemenids brought writing to Sogdiana, and the written language long remained the Aramaic of the Achaemenid Empire." [1]

[1]: (De la Vaissière 2005, 17)


307 Koktepe I absent Confident Expert -
"The Achaemenids brought writing to Sogdiana, and the written language long remained the Aramaic of the Achaemenid Empire." [1]

[1]: (De la Vaissière 2005, 17)


308 Ancient Khwarazm absent Confident Expert -
"The Achaemenids brought writing to Sogdiana, and the written language long remained the Aramaic of the Achaemenid Empire." [1]

[1]: (De la Vaissière 2005, 17)


309 Koktepe II absent Confident Expert -
"The Achaemenids brought writing to Sogdiana, and the written language long remained the Aramaic of the Achaemenid Empire." [1]

[1]: (De la Vaissière 2005, 17)


310 Tocharians present Inferred Expert -
present or inferred present for Greco-Bactrians in 200 BCE
311 Sogdiana - City-States Period present Inferred Expert -
-
312 Khanate of Bukhara unknown Suspected Expert -
-
313 Hmong - Late Qing absent Confident Expert -
The A-Hmao language was first written by the Pollard script in apprx. 1905. [1]

[1]: Duffy, John M. (2007). Writing from these roots: literacy in a Hmong-American community. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 0-8248-3095-4.


314 Hmong - Early Chinese absent Confident Expert -
-
315 Ubaid absent Confident Expert -
There are lack of evidences suggesting that the writing system has been already invented.
316 Uruk absent Inferred Expert -
[1]

[1]: Nissen et al. 1993, 30


317 Early Dynastic unknown Suspected Expert -
-
318 Akkadian Empire unknown Suspected Expert -
-
319 Ur - Dynasty III unknown Suspected Expert -
-
320 Second Dynasty of Isin present Inferred Expert -
"A growing body of literature, composed now in Akkadian instead of Sumerian, accumulated through the later second and first millennia. These included new versions of earlier stories, such as Ishtar in the Netherworld, and new stories, such as Enuma elish and The Story of Erra, as well as new compositions in old and new genres of religious literature and other branches of literary composition such as disputations, fables, and love poems, and the time-honored Sumerian lexical texts, now translated and greatly expanded and developed. Epic poems about historical monarchs began to appear, including fictive “autobiographies.” On the practical side, there was a growing body of “scientific” literature: compilations of omen and divination observations, treatments for illnesses, recipes and other treatises, as well as mathematical tables and exercises." [1]

[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 291) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.


321 Bazi Dynasty present Inferred Expert -
"A growing body of literature, composed now in Akkadian instead of Sumerian, accumulated through the later second and first millennia. These included new versions of earlier stories, such as Ishtar in the Netherworld, and new stories, such as Enuma elish and The Story of Erra, as well as new compositions in old and new genres of religious literature and other branches of literary composition such as disputations, fables, and love poems, and the time-honored Sumerian lexical texts, now translated and greatly expanded and developed. Epic poems about historical monarchs began to appear, including fictive “autobiographies.” On the practical side, there was a growing body of “scientific” literature: compilations of omen and divination observations, treatments for illnesses, recipes and other treatises, as well as mathematical tables and exercises." [1]

[1]: (McIntosh 2005: 291) McIntosh, J. 2005. Ancient Mesopotamia: New Perspective. Santa Barbara: ABC Clio. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/KK2E3KMD.


322 Dynasty of E absent Inferred Expert -
"Documentary sources also become very scarce." [1]

[1]: (Beaulieu 2017, 7Beaulieu, Paul-Alain. 2017. A History of Babylon, 2200 BC - AD 75. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/5T3ZBRQT.


323 Parthian Empire II present Confident Expert -
"Iranians were familiar with Greek philosophy from the Achaemenid period." [1] "Parthian Empire in particular seems to have become a refuge for the Jews who fled the Roman persecution and brought the fundamental of the rabbinic learning with them, to appear in the form of the Babylonian Talmud a few centuries later." [2] "the Avesta (the holy book of Zoroastrianism) ... credits Vologases I (51-78 CE) with the collection and compiling of the corpus of Avesta itself. Whether true or not, this is an evidence of the interest of later Arsacid Emperors in Zoroastrianism and their possible patronage of its spread." [2] "the late Arsacid period is distinguished by the rise of the aforementioned Gnosticism and Neo-Platonism. Famous leaders of Gnosticism like Marcion lived either in the Parthian territories or had a large following within their lands, while the Egyptian philosopher Plotinus made a trip to the Parthian lands". [2] "We know that varied schools of philosophy flourished in Hellenistic Babylonia, and Greek metaphysicians, astronomers, naturalists, historians, geographers, and physicians worked there. The Parthian court made considerable use of such trained and able men for building its bureaucracy." [3]

[1]: (Tafazzoli 1996, 90) Tafazzoli, A. and Khromov, A. L. Sasanian Iran: Intellectual Life. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.82-105. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf

[2]: Rezakhani, Khodadad. 2016. Arsacid Society and Culture. Accessed 06.09.2016: https://iranologie.com/the-history-page/the-arsacid-empire/arsacid-society-and-culture/

[3]: (Neusner 2008, 8-9) Neusner, Jacob. 2008. A History of the Jews in Babylonia. 1. The Parthian Period. Wipf & Stock. Eugene.


324 Abbasid Caliphate II present Confident Expert -
With the Mongol sack of Baghdad in 1258 CE "the culture, science and learning for which Baghdad had been known for centuries simply disappeared in a period of a week." [1]

[1]: (DeVries 2014, 209) DeVries, Kelly in Morton, N. John, S. eds. 2014. Crusading and Warfare in the Middle Ages: Realities and Representations. Essays in Honour of John France. Ashgate Publishing Ltd.


325 Pre-Ceramic Period absent Confident Expert -
"The great organisations of the first phase of urbanisation rose to prominence without writing. The latter developed relatively quickly as a response to these institutions’ needs." [1] Liverani says the so-called "urban revolution" of the Uruk phase occurred 3800-3000 BCE. [2]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 73) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.

[2]: (Leverani 2014, 69-70) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


326 Formative Period absent Confident Expert -
"The great organisations of the first phase of urbanisation rose to prominence without writing. The latter developed relatively quickly as a response to these institutions’ needs." [1] Liverani says the so-called "urban revolution" of the Uruk phase occurred 3800-3000 BCE. [2]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 73) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.

[2]: (Leverani 2014, 69-70) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


327 Susiana - Muhammad Jaffar absent Confident Expert -
"The great organisations of the first phase of urbanisation rose to prominence without writing. The latter developed relatively quickly as a response to these institutions’ needs." [1] Liverani says the so-called "urban revolution" of the Uruk phase occurred 3800-3000 BCE. [2]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 73) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.

[2]: (Leverani 2014, 69-70) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


328 Susiana A absent Confident Expert -
"The great organisations of the first phase of urbanisation rose to prominence without writing. The latter developed relatively quickly as a response to these institutions’ needs." [1] Liverani says the so-called "urban revolution" of the Uruk phase occurred 3800-3000 BCE. [2]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 73) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.

[2]: (Leverani 2014, 69-70) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


329 Susiana B absent Confident Expert -
"The great organisations of the first phase of urbanisation rose to prominence without writing. The latter developed relatively quickly as a response to these institutions’ needs." [1]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 73) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


330 Susiana - Early Ubaid absent Confident Expert -
"The great organisations of the first phase of urbanisation rose to prominence without writing. The latter developed relatively quickly as a response to these institutions’ needs." [1]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 73) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


331 Susiana - Late Ubaid absent Confident Expert -
"The great organisations of the first phase of urbanisation rose to prominence without writing. The latter developed relatively quickly as a response to these institutions’ needs." [1]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 73) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


332 Susa I absent Confident Expert -
"The great organisations of the first phase of urbanisation rose to prominence without writing. The latter developed relatively quickly as a response to these institutions’ needs." [1]

[1]: (Leverani 2014, 73) Liverani, Mario. Tabatabai, Soraia trans. 2014. The Ancient Near East. History, society and economy. Routledge. London.


333 Elam - Shimashki Period unknown Suspected Expert -
-
334 Macedonian Empire present Confident -
-
335 Elymais II present Inferred Expert -
"Iranians were familiar with Greek philosophy from the Achaemenid period." [1] "philosophy flourished in Hellenistic Babylonia, and Greek metaphysicians, astronomers, naturalists, historians, geographers, and physicians worked there." [2] - Hellenistic Susa likely had the same ’high culture’ to a lesser degree "Iranians were familiar with Greek philosophy from the Achaemenid period. This acquaintance was deepened in Sasanian times, leading to the influence of Greek philosophy on Zoroastrian religious works." [1]

[1]: (Tafazzoli 1996, 90) Tafazzoli, A. and Khromov, A. L. Sasanian Iran: Intellectual Life. in Litvinsky, B. A. ed. and Iskender-Mochiri, I. ed. 1996. History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Volume III. The crossroads of civilizations: A.D. 250 to 750. pp.82-105. unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0010/001046/104612e.pdf

[2]: (Neusner 2008, 8-9) Neusner, Jacob. 2008. A History of the Jews in Babylonia. 1. The Parthian Period. Wipf & Stock. Eugene.


336 Ak Koyunlu present Inferred Expert -
"cultural discourse was Persian." [1] "theologian and philosopher Jalal al-Din Davani (d. 1503)". [1]

[1]: (Newman 2009) Newman, Andrew J. 2009. Safavid Iran: Rebirth of a Persian Empire. I.B. Tauris. New York.


337 Qajar present Confident Expert -
"In 1851, the first modern institution of higher education was founded. Dar ul-Funun, a polytechic institute, was founded by Amir Kabir, the Prime Minister from 1848 to 1851, better known as Iran’s first reformer, to educate students in medicine, engineering, geology, and military sciences." [1]

[1]: (Maranlou 2016, 144-145) Sahar Maranlou. Modernization Prospects For Legal Education In Iran. Mutaz M Qafisheh. Stephen A Rosenbaum. eds. 2016. Experimental Legal Education in a Globalized World: The Middle East and Beyond. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Newcastle upon Tyne.


338 Badarian absent Inferred Expert -
-
339 Naqada I absent Inferred Expert -
The earliest phonetic hieroglyphic writing was found in the tomb J at the Abytos Cemetary U - on the pottery vessels and small bone/ivory labels [1] . They are dated to Naqada IIIA. But it should be noticed that already in Naqada I, signs similar to hieroglyphs have been found, especially on the pottery vessels (pot marks). However "none of these signs hints at the existence of phonograms, phonetic complements or detenninatives" and "the absence of an important component of the hieroglyphic writing system does not allow us to designate these signs as "hieroglyphic writing"" [2] . It can be rather treated as an abstract symbolic system [3]

[1]: Köhler, E. C. "Theories of State Formation". [in:] Wendrich, W. [ed.]. Egyptian Archaeology. Chichester: Blackwell Publishing. pg: 41.

[2]: Kahl, J. "Hieroglyphic Writing During the Fourth Millennium BC: an Analysis of Systems". Archeo-NiI 11 (2001); 122, 124.

[3]: Meza, A. 2012. ANCIENT EGYPT BEFORE WRITING: From Markings to Hieroglyphs. Bloomington: Xlibris Corporation. pg: 25.


340 Naqada II absent Inferred Expert -
The earliest phonetic hieroglyphic writing was found in the tomb J at the Abytos Cemetary U - on the pottery vessels and small bone/ivory labels [1] . They are dated to Naqada IIIA. But it should be noticed that already in Naqada I, signs similar to hieroglyphs have been found, especially on the pottery vessels (pot marks). However "none of these signs hints at the existence of phonograms, phonetic complements or detenninatives" and "the absence of an important component of the hieroglyphic writing system does not allow us to designate these signs as "hieroglyphic writing"" [2] . It can be rather treated as an abstract symbolic system [3]

[1]: Köhler, E. C. "Theories of State Formation". [in:] Wendrich, W. [ed.]. Egyptian Archaeology. Chichester: Blackwell Publishing. pg: 41.

[2]: Kahl, J. "Hieroglyphic Writing During the Fourth Millennium BC: an Analysis of Systems". Archeo-NiI 11 (2001); 122, 124.

[3]: Meza, A. 2012. ANCIENT EGYPT BEFORE WRITING: From Markings to Hieroglyphs. Bloomington: Xlibris Corporation. pg: 25.


341 Egypt - Dynasty 0 unknown Suspected Expert -
Unknown. AD: coded as inferred absent for continuity purposes with previous and following polity. "by Dynasty 0, writing was used by scribes and artisans of the Egyptian state." [1] previous code: inferred present

[1]: (Bard 2000, 74)


342 Egypt - Dynasty I absent Inferred Expert -
"early writing preserves specialized information that is of a very cursory nature at this point in cultural development." [1]

[1]: (Bard 2000, 64)


343 Egypt - Dynasty II absent Inferred Expert -
"early writing preserves specialized information that is of a very cursory nature at this point in cultural development." [1]

[1]: (Bard 2000, 64)


344 Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom absent Confident Disputed Expert -
The Maxims of Ptahhotep "a major literary work of the Old Kingdom, which summarises the rules of conduct of a successful official, is ascribed to the vizier of Djedkara." (2414-2375 BCE). [1] "The philosophical literture is something perculiar to the Middle Kingdom and First Intermediate Period." [2]

[1]: (Malek 2000, 102)

[2]: (Kemp 1983, 75) Kemp, Barry. "Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period c. 2686-1552 BC" in Trigger, B G. Kemp, B J. O’Connor, D. LLoyd, A B. 1983. Ancient Egypt: A Social History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


345 Egypt - Classic Old Kingdom present Confident Disputed Expert -
The Maxims of Ptahhotep "a major literary work of the Old Kingdom, which summarises the rules of conduct of a successful official, is ascribed to the vizier of Djedkara." (2414-2375 BCE). [1] "The philosophical literture is something perculiar to the Middle Kingdom and First Intermediate Period." [2]

[1]: (Malek 2000, 102)

[2]: (Kemp 1983, 75) Kemp, Barry. "Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period c. 2686-1552 BC" in Trigger, B G. Kemp, B J. O’Connor, D. LLoyd, A B. 1983. Ancient Egypt: A Social History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


346 Egypt - Late Old Kingdom present Confident Disputed Expert -
The Maxims of Ptahhotep "a major literary work of the Old Kingdom, which summarises the rules of conduct of a successful official, is ascribed to the vizier of Djedkara." (2414-2375 BCE). [1] "The philosophical literture is something perculiar to the Middle Kingdom and First Intermediate Period." [2]

[1]: (Malek 2000, 102)

[2]: (Kemp 1983, 75) Kemp, Barry. "Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period c. 2686-1552 BC" in Trigger, B G. Kemp, B J. O’Connor, D. LLoyd, A B. 1983. Ancient Egypt: A Social History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


347 Egypt - Late Old Kingdom absent Confident Disputed Expert -
The Maxims of Ptahhotep "a major literary work of the Old Kingdom, which summarises the rules of conduct of a successful official, is ascribed to the vizier of Djedkara." (2414-2375 BCE). [1] "The philosophical literture is something perculiar to the Middle Kingdom and First Intermediate Period." [2]

[1]: (Malek 2000, 102)

[2]: (Kemp 1983, 75) Kemp, Barry. "Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period c. 2686-1552 BC" in Trigger, B G. Kemp, B J. O’Connor, D. LLoyd, A B. 1983. Ancient Egypt: A Social History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


348 Egypt - Period of the Regions unknown Suspected Expert -
-
349 Egypt - Middle Kingdom present Confident Expert -
"The philosophical literture is something perculiar to the Middle Kingdom and First Intermediate Period." [1] "Another religious development of the Middle Kingdom was the idea that all people (not just the king) had a ba, or spiritual force. The most evocative evidence for this is the literary text, the Dialogue between a Man Tired of Life and his ’Ba’, which must be the world’s earliest debate on the issue of suicide - a powerful philosophical treatise." [2] Instructions for Merikare "set down basic guidelines for administering justice." [3] - advice for kings genre

[1]: (Kemp 1983, 75) Kemp, Barry. "Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and Second Intermediate Period c. 2686-1552 BC" in Trigger, B G. Kemp, B J. O’Connor, D. LLoyd, A B. 1983. Ancient Egypt: A Social History. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.

[2]: (Callender 1983, 169) Callender, Gae. "The Middle Kingdom Renaissance" in Shaw, Ian. ed. 2003. The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. Oxford.

[3]: (Hinds 2006, 6)


350 Egypt - Kushite Period present Inferred Expert -
Temples and libraries were maintained that had books on philosophy consulted/written by priests.
351 Oaxaca - Tierras Largas absent Confident Expert -
The first written records in the Valley of Oaxaca are from the Rosario phase (700-500 BCE). [1] [2] Written records are therefore coded as absent for this period.

[1]: Flannery, K. V. and J. Marcus (1983). "The Cloud People." New York.

[2]: Marcus, J. and K. V. Flannery (1996). Zapotec civilization: How urban society evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley, Thames and Hudson London.


352 Oaxaca - San Jose absent Confident Expert -
The first written records in the Valley of Oaxaca are from the Rosario phase (700-500 BCE). [1] [2] Written records are therefore coded as absent for this period.

[1]: Flannery, K. V. and J. Marcus (1983). "The Cloud People." New York.

[2]: Marcus, J. and K. V. Flannery (1996). Zapotec civilization: How urban society evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley, Thames and Hudson London.


353 Oaxaca - Rosario absent Confident Expert -
Glyphs dating to this period have been deciphered as either calendrical dates or the names of prisoners. Sources do not suggest that evidence for other types of writing has been found. [1] [2]

[1]: Spencer, C. S. and E. M. Redmond (2004). "Primary state formation in Mesoamerica." Annual Review of Anthropology: 173-199, p179

[2]: Marcus, J. and K. V. Flannery (1996). Zapotec civilization: How urban society evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley, Thames and Hudson London, p130


354 Early Monte Alban I absent Confident Expert -
Glyphs dating to this period have been deciphered as either calendrical dates or the names of prisoners. Sources do not suggest that evidence for other types of writing has been found. [1]

[1]: Marcus and Flannery (1996) Zapotec Civilization: How urban society evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. Flannery and Marcus (1983) The Cloud People: divergent evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec civilizations. Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Academic Press, New York.


355 Monte Alban Late I absent Confident Expert -
Glyphs dating to this period have been deciphered as either calendrical dates or the names of prisoners. Sources do not suggest that evidence for other types of writing has been found. [1]

[1]: Marcus and Flannery (1996) Zapotec Civilization: How urban society evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. Flannery and Marcus (1983) The Cloud People: divergent evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec civilizations. Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Academic Press, New York.


356 Monte Alban II absent Confident Expert -
Glyphs dating to this period have been deciphered as either calendrical dates or the names of prisoners. Sources do not suggest that evidence for other types of writing has been found. [1]

[1]: Marcus and Flannery (1996) Zapotec Civilization: How urban society evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. Flannery and Marcus (1983) The Cloud People: divergent evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec civilizations. Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Academic Press, New York.


357 Monte Alban III absent Confident Expert -
Glyphs dating to this period have been deciphered as either calendrical dates or the names of prisoners. Sources do not suggest that evidence for other types of writing has been found. [1]

[1]: Marcus and Flannery (1996) Zapotec Civilization: How urban society evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. Flannery and Marcus (1983) The Cloud People: divergent evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec civilizations. Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Academic Press, New York.


358 Monte Alban IIIB and IV absent Confident Expert -
Genealogical registers of noble ancestry (including important marriages, and sometimes important life events of individuals) were recorded in stone during this period. Also carved glyphs denoting calendrical dates. Sources do not suggest that evidence for other types of writing has been found. [1]

[1]: Marcus and Flannery (1996) Zapotec Civilization: How urban society evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. Flannery and Marcus (1983) The Cloud People: divergent evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec civilizations. Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Academic Press, New York.


359 Monte Alban V Early Postclassic absent Confident -
-
360 Monte Alban V Late Postclassic absent Confident -
-
361 Monte Alban V absent Confident Expert -
Detailed documentation of life in the Valley of Oaxaca were written only after the Spanish conquest in the 1520s. [1]

[1]: Marcus and Flannery (1996) Zapotec Civilization: How urban society evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. Flannery and Marcus (1983) The Cloud People: divergent evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec civilizations. Museum of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Academic Press, New York.


362 Early Nyoro absent Confident -
-
363 Cwezi Dynasty absent Confident -
-
364 Bito Dynasty absent Confident 1700 CE 1859 CE
-
365 Bito Dynasty unknown Suspected 1860 CE 1894 CE
-
366 Sabaean Commonwealth absent Confident Expert -
"Notably, none of these documents is a poem, a hymn, a collection of sayings, a mythological narration, a chronicle, a manual, or indeed any other sort of literary or technical composition." [1]

[1]: (Robin 2015: 92) Robin, Christian Julien. 2015. “Before Himyar: Epigraphic Evidence for the Kingdoms of South Arabia.” In Arabs and Empires before Islam, edited by Greg Fisher, 91-126. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/ZMFH42PE.


367 Qatabanian Commonwealth absent Confident Expert -
"Notably, none of these documents is a poem, a hymn, a collection of sayings, a mythological narration, a chronicle, a manual, or indeed any other sort of literary or technical composition." [1]

[1]: (Robin 2015: 92) Robin, Christian Julien. 2015. “Before Himyar: Epigraphic Evidence for the Kingdoms of South Arabia.” In Arabs and Empires before Islam, edited by Greg Fisher, 91-126. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Seshat URL: https://www-oxfordscholarship-com.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199654529.001.0001/acprof-9780199654529-chapter-3.


368 Kingdom of Saba and Dhu Raydan absent Confident Expert -
"Notably, none of these documents is a poem, a hymn, a collection of sayings, a mythological narration, a chronicle, a manual, or indeed any other sort of literary or technical composition." [1]

[1]: (Robin 2015: 92) Robin, Christian Julien. 2015. “Before Himyar: Epigraphic Evidence for the Kingdoms of South Arabia.” In Arabs and Empires before Islam, edited by Greg Fisher, 91-126. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Seshat URL: https://www-oxfordscholarship-com.ezp.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199654529.001.0001/acprof-9780199654529-chapter-3.


369 Yemen - Qasimid Dynasty present Inferred Expert -
Historiography and Islamic theology may have been present along with treatises on Islamic law. More material is needed on scholarly writings in the Qasimid period.
370 Ottoman Empire Late Period present Inferred -
-
371 Republic of Venice III present Confident Expert -
16th century philosophers mentioned in the text: "In the late sixteenth century, Padua was the official university of the Venetian republic". [1]

[1]: (Harrison 2006, 213) Peter Harrison. The natural philosopher and the virtues. Conal Condren. Stephen Gaukroger. Ian Hunter. eds. The Philosopher in Early Modern Europe: The Nature of a Contested Identity. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


372 Republic of Venice IV present Confident Expert -
16th century philosophers mentioned in the text: "In the late sixteenth century, Padua was the official university of the Venetian republic". [1]

[1]: (Harrison 2006, 213) Peter Harrison. The natural philosopher and the virtues. Conal Condren. Stephen Gaukroger. Ian Hunter. eds. The Philosopher in Early Modern Europe: The Nature of a Contested Identity. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge.


373 Hohokam Culture absent Confident -
There were no written records left by the Sonoran Desert People. [1]

[1]: ”History & Culture - Casa Grande Ruins National Monument (U.S. National Park Service),”. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/HJU2S97P


374 Antebellum US present Confident -
-
375 Austria - Habsburg Dynasty I present Confident -
Philosophy was popular at this time, with many monarchs being interested in the subject. No direct mentions of text specifically but other polities in Europe at the time had them printed so it is safe to assume they were here also. [1]

[1]: (Curtis 2013: 170, 236) Curtis, Benjamin. 2013. The Habsburgs: The History of a Dynasty. London; New York: Bloomsbury. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/TRKUBP92


376 Napoleonic France present Confident -
-
377 Austria - Habsburg Dynasty II present Confident -
“The eighteenth century saw a veritable explosion of published works of literature, science, history, religion, and philosophy in the territories ruled by the Habsburgs.” [1]

[1]: (Judson 2016: 29) Judson, Pieter M. 2016. The Habsburg Empire: A New History. Cambridge, USA; London, England: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/BN5TQZBW


378 Austria - Habsburg Dynasty II present Confident 1867 CE 1918 CE
“The eighteenth century saw a veritable explosion of published works of literature, science, history, religion, and philosophy in the territories ruled by the Habsburgs.” [1] “The purely intellectual contribution of the Austrian Enlightenment was limited. German classicism in literature and philosophy was a powerful stimulating force but its impact headed almost exclusively from outside.” [2] “Ernst von Feuchtersieben, professor of medicine, but actually a student of the philosophical aspects of psychosomatic problems, taught unimpeded at the University of Vienna. The Slavists, Batholomäus Kopitar, director of the Court (National) Library in Vienna and Franz von Miklosii, both of Slovene origin, made eminent contributions to comparative philology. The latter remained active well into the second half of Francis Joseph’s reign.” [3]

[1]: (Judson 2016: 29) Judson, Pieter M. 2016. The Habsburg Empire: A New History. Cambridge, USA; London, England: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/BN5TQZBW

[2]: (Kann 1974: 368) Kann, Robert A. 1974. A History of the Habsburg Empire 1526-1918. Los Angeles: University of California Press. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/RP3JD4UV

[3]: (Kann 1974: 371) Kann, Robert A. 1974. A History of the Habsburg Empire 1526-1918. Los Angeles: University of California Press. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/RP3JD4UV


379 Kingdom of Bohemia - Luxembourgian and Jagiellonian Dynasty present Confident -
“Numerous educated men emerged from the university and many of these were concerned with questions about the fair division of society, the mutual relations of social groups and moral standards. Among these was the educated yeoman Tomáš Štítný, who wrote a range of books in Czech on philosophical and religious issues.” [1] “In addition, one needs to take into consideration a number of key texts written during the second half of the 14th century, which were also introduced to the cultural milieu of Bohemia. Such was a treatise by Walter Burley entitled De vita et moribus philosophorum veterum, a description of the deeds of ancient philosophers and personalities, with an emphasis on their virtues. In Bohemia, this treatise was reworked and put together in one corpus with the work by John of Wales, Breviloquium de virtutibus antiquorum principum that dealt directly with the question of virtue. It was precisely that treatise that enjoyed great popularity in the Czech lands, and which by the late 14th century was translated into Old Czech.” [2]

[1]: (Pánek and Oldřich 2009: 148) Pánek, Jaroslav and Oldřich, Tůma. 2009. A History of the Czech Lands. University of Chicago Press. 2009. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/4NAX9KBJ

[2]: (Antonín 2017: 42) Antonín, Robert. 2017. The Ideal Ruler in Medieval Bohemia, trans. Sean Mark Miller, East Central and Eastern Europe in the Middle Ages, 450-1450. Leiden; Boston: Brill. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/G2S9M8F6


380 Spanish Empire II present Confident Expert 1716 CE 1814 CE
“Educated Spaniards first learned of the Enlightenment from Benito Gerónimo Feijóo, a Benedictine monk and professor of theology. His Teatro critico universal (9 vols., 1726–1739 and Cartas eruditas (5 vols., 1739–1759, republished in 15 editions by 1786), contained essays on a wide variety of subjects and embodied the spirit of critical rationalism without rejecting religious beliefs. Feijóo’s emphasis on science and its practical applications appealed to the leaders of eighteenth-century Spain, who hoped to encourage material progress without offending the country’s innate conservatism.”(Maltby 2009: 179) Maltby, William S. 2009. The Rise and Fall of the Spanish Empire. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/SUSVXWVH “The count of Floridablanca, the king’s chief minister and a leading supporter of the Enlightenment under Charles III, tried to prevent news of the revolution, and revolutionary literature in general, from reaching the Spanish public. The presence of banned books in libraries as far away as Peru indicates that he failed, but with the exception of a handful of sophisticates, most Spaniards remained indifferent to enlightened ideas and were horrified by events in France.”(Maltby 2009: 190) Maltby, William S. 2009. The Rise and Fall of the Spanish Empire. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. https://www.zotero.org/groups/seshat_databank/items/itemKey/SUSVXWVH
381 Russian Empire, Romanov Dynasty II present Confident Expert -
Ivan Kireyevsky (1806–1856) and Alexei Khomyakov (1804–1860): As founders of the Slavophil movement, both thinkers contributed significantly to the philosophy of Russian Orthodoxy and the critique of Western rationalism, promoting a unique Russian spiritual and philosophical identity. [1] [2]

[1]: “Lib.Ru/Классика. Киреевский Иван Васильевич. Собрание Сочинений.” Accessed December 18, 2023. http://az.lib.ru/k/kireewskij_i_w/. Zotero link: DBERDH73

[2]: “Lib.Ru/Классика. Хомяков Алексей Степанович. Собрание Сочинений,” accessed December 18, 2023, http://az.lib.ru/h/homjakow_a_s/. Zotero link: HGKEKCXJ


382 Golden Horde Transitional (Present -> Absent) Inferred -
Öz Beg Khan’s son and successor, Jani Beg (Islamic name, Jalal ad-Din Mahmud), was a patron of philosophy he had many philosophical works written by Islamic scholars. [1] There was a disruption of literary works in the Turkic languages following the Black Death. After 1360 there appear to be no literary or religious works written in the Golden Horde language until the fifteenth century in Central Asia. [2]

[1]: Khakimov and Favereau 2017: 460. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/QL8H3FN8

[2]: Schamiloglu 2017: 337. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/YI8W94QB


383 Anglo-Saxon England I Transitional (Absent -> Present) Confident -
During Alfred the Great’s reign, some of the many works he had scholars translate or write were “Boethius’s The Consolation of Philosophy, which taught that the pursuit of wisdom is the wise man’s consolation, and St. Augustine’s Soliloquies, which taught that contemplation could save a ruler from the sin of pride.) [1]

[1]: (Roberts et al 2014: 35) Roberts, Clayton, Roberts, F. David, and Bisson, Douglas. 2014. ‘Anglo-Saxon England: 450–1066’, in A History of England, Volume 1, 6th ed. Routledge. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/P2IHD9U3


384 Us Reconstruction-Progressive present Confident -
-
385 Chaco Canyon - Late Bonito phase absent Confident -
“Although the ancient people of the Southwest didn’t have a written language, they had effective ways to communicate.” [1]

[1]: (“Chaco Culture - Communication”) “Chaco Culture” NPS Museum Collections, accessed May 8, 2023, https://www.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/chcu/index6.html. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/NMRVDA5I


386 Plantagenet England unknown Suspected -
Evidence of philosophers such as John of Darlington who became a councillor and confessor to King Henry, and an Oxford educated friar, William of Ockham, who lived in Germany from 1328 and wrote philosophical works there, but no direct information had been found in sources as to whether any philosophical books were written within the polity. [1]

[1]: (Prestwich 2005: 101) Prestwich, Michael. 2005. Plantagenet England 1225-1360. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/XTBKFDCI


387 British Empire I present Confident -
The Philosophical Society was founded in 1683 and branches were created in the American colonies by the mid seventeenth-century, which produced texts and books. Natural philosophy could be studied at university level from the early eighteenth century. [1] Half the books published in the late seventeenth century were philosophical or religious. [2]

[1]: (Marshall 2006: 240-42) Marshall, P. J. ed. 2006. The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume II The Eighteenth Century. Vol. 2, 5 vols. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/HGG2PPQQ

[2]: (Canny 1998: 100) Canny, Nicholas. ed. 1998. The Oxford History of the British Empire: Volume I The Origins of Empire, vol. 1, 5 vols. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/RTDR3NCN


388 Soviet Union present Confident Expert 1923 CE 1991 CE
Soviet philosophy was predominantly framed by Marxist-Leninist ideology, which influenced not only political thought but also the interpretation of a wide range of subjects from history to science.


Marxist-Leninist Ideology: The foundation of Soviet philosophical thought, focusing on dialectical and historical materialism.

Political Philosophy: Discussions on socialism, communism, the role of the state, and proletarian internationalism.

Ethics and Aesthetics: Views on moral principles and the role of art and literature in society, often linked to ideological and political goals.

Notable Philosophers and Works:

Vladimir Lenin: His works, such as "Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism" and "The State and Revolution," were fundamental to Soviet political philosophy. [1]



Joseph Stalin: "The Foundations of Leninism," [2]

[1]: Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism (Moscow: Progress Publishers, 1963). Zotero link: RAQ899IP

[2]: Stalin, Joseph, and Vladimir Il?ich Lenin. The Foundations of Leninism. Createspace Independent Publishing Platform, 1924. Zotero link: 7SABA3V6


389 Early Modern Sierra Leone absent Inferred 1650 CE 1832 CE
The following quote implies that indigenous writing emerged in the region in the 19th century. "The first documented autochthonous, Mande script to appear in West Africa was the one created by Duala Bukere from Grand Cape Mount County in Liberia who created a Vai syllabary in 1833, which has been standardized to 212 characters (Dalby, 1967: 14-18). [...] Appearing first in the region, the Vai syllabary became the prototype for other writing systems that were created in the inter-wars among indigenous peoples in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Speakers of southern Mande languages such as the Mende (1921) and the Kpelle (1935), and speakers of the Kru languages such as the Bassa (1920-25) have based their writing systems on the syllabary (Dalby, 1967: 2-4)." [1]

[1]: (Oyler 2001: 75) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/X7HQWWH9/collection.


390 Early Modern Sierra Leone present Confident 1833 CE 1896 CE
The following quote implies that indigenous writing emerged in the region in the 19th century. "The first documented autochthonous, Mande script to appear in West Africa was the one created by Duala Bukere from Grand Cape Mount County in Liberia who created a Vai syllabary in 1833, which has been standardized to 212 characters (Dalby, 1967: 14-18). [...] Appearing first in the region, the Vai syllabary became the prototype for other writing systems that were created in the inter-wars among indigenous peoples in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Speakers of southern Mande languages such as the Mende (1921) and the Kpelle (1935), and speakers of the Kru languages such as the Bassa (1920-25) have based their writing systems on the syllabary (Dalby, 1967: 2-4)." [1]

[1]: (Oyler 2001: 75) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/X7HQWWH9/collection.


391 Futa Jallon present Confident -
"In the field of religion and culture, the nineteenth century is said to have witnessed the golden age of Islam in the Futa Jalon. It was the century of great scholars and the growth of Islamic culture. All the disciplines of the Quran were known and taught: translation, the hadiths, law, apologetics, the ancillary sciences such as grammar, rhetoric, literature, astronomy, local works in Pular and Arabic, and mysticism. Nineteenth-century European visitors were highly impressed by the extent of the Islamization, which was visible in the large number of mosques and schools at all levels, the degree of scholarship, the richness of the libraries, and the widespread practice of Islamic worship. All this seems to have been facilitated by the use of the local language, Pular, as a medium of teaching and popularization of Islamic rules and doctrine." [1]

[1]: (Barry 2005: 539) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/SU25S5BX/items/6TXWGHAX/item-list


392 Mane absent Inferred -
The following quote implies that indigenous writing emerged in the region in the 19th century. "The first documented autochthonous, Mande script to appear in West Africa was the one created by Duala Bukere from Grand Cape Mount County in Liberia who created a Vai syllabary in 1833, which has been standardized to 212 characters (Dalby, 1967: 14-18). [...] Appearing first in the region, the Vai syllabary became the prototype for other writing systems that were created in the inter-wars among indigenous peoples in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Speakers of southern Mande languages such as the Mende (1921) and the Kpelle (1935), and speakers of the Kru languages such as the Bassa (1920-25) have based their writing systems on the syllabary (Dalby, 1967: 2-4)." [1]

[1]: (Oyler 2001: 75) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/X7HQWWH9/collection.


393 Middle and Late Nok absent Inferred -
"In sum, we have not found unambiguous evidence of social complexity and the often suggested highly advanced social system of the Nok Culture." [1]

[1]: (Breunig and Ruppe 2016: 251) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/ES4TRU7R.


394 Kanem unknown Suspected -
The following quote suggests that this era has left behind few written texts. "Historical information on those emerging years of the empire is dim and has to be carefully extracted from the accounts of Arab writers (Levtzion and Hopkins 1981), the scanty internal evidence in the Kanem-Borno king lists (Lange 1977), and the few fragments of internal scripts that have been recorded by the German traveler Heinrich Barth (1857-59; Lange 1987) and the British colonial officer Richmond Palmer (1967; 1970)." [1]

[1]: (Gronenborn 2002: 103)


395 Middle and Late Nok absent Inferred -
"In sum, we have not found unambiguous evidence of social complexity and the often suggested highly advanced social system of the Nok Culture." [1]

[1]: (Breunig and Ruppe 2016: 251) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/ES4TRU7R.


396 Pre-Sape Sierra Leone absent Inferred -
The following quote implies that indigenous writing emerged in the region in the 19th century. "The first documented autochthonous, Mande script to appear in West Africa was the one created by Duala Bukere from Grand Cape Mount County in Liberia who created a Vai syllabary in 1833, which has been standardized to 212 characters (Dalby, 1967: 14-18). [...] Appearing first in the region, the Vai syllabary became the prototype for other writing systems that were created in the inter-wars among indigenous peoples in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Speakers of southern Mande languages such as the Mende (1921) and the Kpelle (1935), and speakers of the Kru languages such as the Bassa (1920-25) have based their writing systems on the syllabary (Dalby, 1967: 2-4)." [1]

[1]: (Oyler 2001: 75) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/X7HQWWH9/collection.


397 Sape absent Inferred -
The following quote implies that indigenous writing emerged in the region in the 19th century. "The first documented autochthonous, Mande script to appear in West Africa was the one created by Duala Bukere from Grand Cape Mount County in Liberia who created a Vai syllabary in 1833, which has been standardized to 212 characters (Dalby, 1967: 14-18). [...] Appearing first in the region, the Vai syllabary became the prototype for other writing systems that were created in the inter-wars among indigenous peoples in Sierra Leone and Liberia. Speakers of southern Mande languages such as the Mende (1921) and the Kpelle (1935), and speakers of the Kru languages such as the Bassa (1920-25) have based their writing systems on the syllabary (Dalby, 1967: 2-4)." [1]

[1]: (Oyler 2001: 75) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/X7HQWWH9/collection.


398 Dutch Empire present Confident -
"Ibn Yaqzan had a major influence on later Western authors, such as Daniel Defoe in his famous Robinson Crusoe story (1719), or, in the Netherlands, Hendrik Smeeks in his Beschryvinge van het magtig Koninkryk Krinke Kesmes (Description of the powerful kingdom of Kinke Kesmes, 1708). In the latter work, this doctor from Zwolle describes a utopian island where all the world’s religions exist side by side. In the ensuing chaos, the residents decide to put an end to all religions and to turn to philosophy." [1]

[1]: (Emmer and Gommans 2020: 88) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/7F5SEVNA/items/AI9PPN7Q/collection.


399 Proto-Yoruba absent Confident -
The following quote suggests that a Yoruba written alphabet was invented in the nineteenth century. "Àjàyí[...] returned in 1841 to the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra. Now officially known as Samuel Crowther, he [...] was the architect of Yorùbá modernization through his efforts as a linguist to reduce the Yorùbá language to writing, a major revolution in Yorùbá cultural and intellectual history. His accomplishments in this regard included the translation of the Bible into Yorùbá and the development of the first Yorùbá dictionary." [1]

[1]: (Ogundiran 2020: 391)


400 Classical Ife absent Confident -
The following quote suggests that a Yoruba written alphabet was invented in the nineteenth century. "Àjàyí[...] returned in 1841 to the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra. Now officially known as Samuel Crowther, he [...] was the architect of Yorùbá modernization through his efforts as a linguist to reduce the Yorùbá language to writing, a major revolution in Yorùbá cultural and intellectual history. His accomplishments in this regard included the translation of the Bible into Yorùbá and the development of the first Yorùbá dictionary." [1]

[1]: (Ogundiran 2020: 391)


401 Late Formative Yoruba absent Confident -
The following quote suggests that a Yoruba written alphabet was invented in the nineteenth century. "Àjàyí[...] returned in 1841 to the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra. Now officially known as Samuel Crowther, he [...] was the architect of Yorùbá modernization through his efforts as a linguist to reduce the Yorùbá language to writing, a major revolution in Yorùbá cultural and intellectual history. His accomplishments in this regard included the translation of the Bible into Yorùbá and the development of the first Yorùbá dictionary." [1]

[1]: (Ogundiran 2020: 391)


402 Allada absent Confident -
“In Allada the local people, it was noted in 1670, in the absence of writing used knotted strings to keep records of various matters, including commercial transactions (“the price of goods”).” [1]

[1]: Austin, Gareth, et al. “Credit, Currencies, and Culture: African Financial Institutions in Historical Perspective.” The International Journal of African Historical Studies, vol. 34, no. 1, 2001, p. 144: 33. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/SPXH2IUW/collection


403 Whydah absent Inferred -
No writing system in Allada the year before Whydah became independent, so likely the same in Whydah: “Another question arising from the incidence of credit in both the local economy and the overseas trade is the nature of the indigenous system of recordkeeping. In Allada the local people, it was noted in 1670, in the absence of writing used knotted strings to keep records of various matters, including commercial transactions (“the price of goods”). Several later accounts allude to other mechanical devices for keeping financial (and fiscal) records in Dahomey.” [1]

[1]: Austin, Gareth, et al. “Credit, Currencies, and Culture: African Financial Institutions in Historical Perspective.” The International Journal of African Historical Studies, vol. 34, no. 1, 2001, p. 144: 33. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/SPXH2IUW/collection


404 Oyo absent Confident -
The following quote suggests that a Yoruba written alphabet was invented in the nineteenth century. "Àjàyí[...] returned in 1841 to the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra. Now officially known as Samuel Crowther, he [...] was the architect of Yorùbá modernization through his efforts as a linguist to reduce the Yorùbá language to writing, a major revolution in Yorùbá cultural and intellectual history. His accomplishments in this regard included the translation of the Bible into Yorùbá and the development of the first Yorùbá dictionary." [1]

[1]: (Ogundiran 2020: 391)


405 Proto-Yoruboid absent Confident -
The following quote suggests that a Yoruba written alphabet was invented in the nineteenth century. "Àjàyí[...] returned in 1841 to the Bight of Benin and the Bight of Biafra. Now officially known as Samuel Crowther, he [...] was the architect of Yorùbá modernization through his efforts as a linguist to reduce the Yorùbá language to writing, a major revolution in Yorùbá cultural and intellectual history. His accomplishments in this regard included the translation of the Bible into Yorùbá and the development of the first Yorùbá dictionary." [1]

[1]: (Ogundiran 2020: 391)


406 Ọ̀ràézè Ǹrì absent Inferred -
No references found in the consulted literature to a written form of Nri that doesn’t use the Latin alphabet. “If these are the problems to be faced in languages that have written form hundreds of years ago one cannot imagine what problems there are in dealing with languages whose written forms are yet to be established.” [1]

[1]: Onwuejeogwu, M. A. (1975). Some Fundamental Problems in the Application of Lexicostatistics in the Study of African Languages. Paideuma, 21, 6–17: 10. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/IISK3KCM/collection


407 Foys absent Confident -
“The question as to the manner in which a record of the age of these children was kept by a people who had no writing, poses itself here.” [1]

[1]: HERSKOVITS, M. J. (1932). POPULATION STATISTICS IN THE KINGDOM OF DAHOMEY. Human Biology, 4(2), 252–261: 258. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/8T74FM7D/collection


408 Benin Empire absent Inferred -
“Since the end of the 15th century, a great deal of material about Benin has been supplied by sailors, traders, etc., returning to Europe. However, information on the Edo people before this date is very difficult to obtain, as there was no written record and the oral record is at best rather fragmentary.” [1] “The theme of this study presses the sources for the reconstruction of Benin military history to its limits because written documents scarcely exist, except for the reports and accounts of European visitors.” [2]

[1]: Bondarenko, Dmitri M., and Peter M. Roese. ‘Benin Prehistory: The Origin and Settling down of the Edo’. Anthropos 94, no. 4/6 (1999): 542–52: 542. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/Y4V3D623/collection

[2]: Osadolor, O. B. (2001). The Military System of Benin Kingdom, c.1440–1897. University of Hamburg, Germany: 27–28. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/N4RZF5H5/collection


409 Buganda absent Confident 1700 CE 1859 CE
"Literacy entered Uganda for the first time with the introduction of Islam in the late 1860’s and for nearly a decade instruction in Islam was progressing and flourishing at the royal court. When literacy was introduced into the kingdom of Buganda, it was confined to speakers of Arabic and Kiswahili. " [1]

[1]: (Pawliková-Vilhanová 2014: 145) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/T7IMKZJJ.


410 Buganda unknown Suspected 1860 CE 1894 CE
"Literacy entered Uganda for the first time with the introduction of Islam in the late 1860’s and for nearly a decade instruction in Islam was progressing and flourishing at the royal court. When literacy was introduced into the kingdom of Buganda, it was confined to speakers of Arabic and Kiswahili. " [1]

[1]: (Pawliková-Vilhanová 2014: 145) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/T7IMKZJJ.


411 Toro absent Confident -
"As we have seen, to secure their essential ties, the ancient states, lacking writing and money, relied on kinship, trust, and personal relationships, which were periodically rekindled by direct contact and exchanged words." [1]

[1]: (Chrétien 2006: 178) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/FXCVWDRI/collection.


412 Buganda absent Confident -
"Literacy entered Uganda for the first time with the introduction of Islam in the late 1860’s and for nearly a decade instruction in Islam was progressing and flourishing at the royal court. When literacy was introduced into the kingdom of Buganda, it was confined to speakers of Arabic and Kiswahili. " [1]

[1]: (Pawliková-Vilhanová 2014: 145) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/T7IMKZJJ.


413 Karagwe absent Confident -
The following quote characterises the people of Tanganyika (the broader region of which Karagwe formed part) as "pre-literate" in the early 19th century. "We do not know what inland Tanganyikans believed in the early nineteenth century. They were pre-literate, and the religions of pre-literate peoples not only leave little historical evidence but are characteristically eclectic, mutable, and unsystematic." [1]

[1]: (Iliffe 1979: 26) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/SB2AJMVC/collection.


414 Kingdom of Nyinginya absent Confident -
Languages spoken in this polity were turned into "written artefacts" only in the colonial period: "Before the arrival of the Europeans, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi were already employed in both kingdoms – Ikinyanduga in southern Rwanda and Ikiruundi in central Burundi – yet with a lot less linguistic unity in the two kingdoms than in (post)colonial times. The missionary and colonial interventions, therefore, rather focused on lexicon, resulting in status planning initiatives and contributing to the compilation of dictionaries, favouring a specific dialect over others. [...] The most salient and visible adaptations were a part of the primarily orthographic alignments of textualisation processes (turning languages into written artefacts)." [1]

[1]: (Nassenstein 2019: 16-17) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/QUT3P5UT/collection.


415 Nkore absent Confident -
"Literacy entered Uganda for the first time with the introduction of Islam in the late 1860’s and for nearly a decade instruction in Islam was progressing and flourishing at the royal court. When literacy was introduced into the kingdom of Buganda, it was confined to speakers of Arabic and Kiswahili. " [1]

[1]: (Pawliková-Vilhanová 2014: 145) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/T7IMKZJJ.


416 Ndorwa absent Confident -
Languages spoken in Rwanda were turned into "written artefacts" only in the colonial period: "Before the arrival of the Europeans, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi were already employed in both kingdoms – Ikinyanduga in southern Rwanda and Ikiruundi in central Burundi – yet with a lot less linguistic unity in the two kingdoms than in (post)colonial times. The missionary and colonial interventions, therefore, rather focused on lexicon, resulting in status planning initiatives and contributing to the compilation of dictionaries, favouring a specific dialect over others. [...] The most salient and visible adaptations were a part of the primarily orthographic alignments of textualisation processes (turning languages into written artefacts)." [1]

[1]: (Nassenstein 2019: 16-17) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/QUT3P5UT/collection.


417 Burundi absent Confident -
"As we have seen, to secure their essential ties, the ancient states, lacking writing and money, relied on kinship, trust, and personal relationships, which were periodically rekindled by direct contact and exchanged words." [1] Languages spoken in this polity were turned into "written artefacts" only in the colonial period: "Before the arrival of the Europeans, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi were already employed in both kingdoms – Ikinyanduga in southern Rwanda and Ikiruundi in central Burundi – yet with a lot less linguistic unity in the two kingdoms than in (post)colonial times. The missionary and colonial interventions, therefore, rather focused on lexicon, resulting in status planning initiatives and contributing to the compilation of dictionaries, favouring a specific dialect over others. [...] The most salient and visible adaptations were a part of the primarily orthographic alignments of textualisation processes (turning languages into written artefacts)." [2]

[1]: (Chrétien 2006: 178) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/FXCVWDRI/collection.

[2]: (Nassenstein 2019: 16-17) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/QUT3P5UT/collection.


418 Mubari absent Confident -
Languages spoken in Rwanda were turned into "written artefacts" only in the colonial period: "Before the arrival of the Europeans, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi were already employed in both kingdoms – Ikinyanduga in southern Rwanda and Ikiruundi in central Burundi – yet with a lot less linguistic unity in the two kingdoms than in (post)colonial times. The missionary and colonial interventions, therefore, rather focused on lexicon, resulting in status planning initiatives and contributing to the compilation of dictionaries, favouring a specific dialect over others. [...] The most salient and visible adaptations were a part of the primarily orthographic alignments of textualisation processes (turning languages into written artefacts)." [1]

[1]: (Nassenstein 2019: 16-17) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/QUT3P5UT/collection.


419 Gisaka absent Confident -
Languages spoken in Rwanda were turned into "written artefacts" only in the colonial period: "Before the arrival of the Europeans, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi were already employed in both kingdoms – Ikinyanduga in southern Rwanda and Ikiruundi in central Burundi – yet with a lot less linguistic unity in the two kingdoms than in (post)colonial times. The missionary and colonial interventions, therefore, rather focused on lexicon, resulting in status planning initiatives and contributing to the compilation of dictionaries, favouring a specific dialect over others. [...] The most salient and visible adaptations were a part of the primarily orthographic alignments of textualisation processes (turning languages into written artefacts)." [1]

[1]: (Nassenstein 2019: 16-17) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/QUT3P5UT/collection.


420 Fipa absent Confident -
The following quote characterises the people of Tanganyika (the broader region of which the Fipa formed part) as "pre-literate" in the early 19th century. "We do not know what inland Tanganyikans believed in the early nineteenth century. They were pre-literate, and the religions of pre-literate peoples not only leave little historical evidence but are characteristically eclectic, mutable, and unsystematic." [1]

[1]: (Iliffe 1979: 26) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/SB2AJMVC/collection.


421 Bugesera absent Confident -
Languages spoken in Rwanda were turned into "written artefacts" only in the colonial period: "Before the arrival of the Europeans, Kinyarwanda and Kirundi were already employed in both kingdoms – Ikinyanduga in southern Rwanda and Ikiruundi in central Burundi – yet with a lot less linguistic unity in the two kingdoms than in (post)colonial times. The missionary and colonial interventions, therefore, rather focused on lexicon, resulting in status planning initiatives and contributing to the compilation of dictionaries, favouring a specific dialect over others. [...] The most salient and visible adaptations were a part of the primarily orthographic alignments of textualisation processes (turning languages into written artefacts)." [1]

[1]: (Nassenstein 2019: 16-17) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/QUT3P5UT/collection.


422 Nkore absent Confident 1750 CE 1859 CE
"Literacy entered Uganda for the first time with the introduction of Islam in the late 1860’s and for nearly a decade instruction in Islam was progressing and flourishing at the royal court. When literacy was introduced into the kingdom of Buganda, it was confined to speakers of Arabic and Kiswahili. " [1]

[1]: (Pawliková-Vilhanová 2014: 145) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/T7IMKZJJ.


423 Nkore unknown Suspected 1860 CE 1901 CE
"Literacy entered Uganda for the first time with the introduction of Islam in the late 1860’s and for nearly a decade instruction in Islam was progressing and flourishing at the royal court. When literacy was introduced into the kingdom of Buganda, it was confined to speakers of Arabic and Kiswahili. " [1]

[1]: (Pawliková-Vilhanová 2014: 145) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/T7IMKZJJ.


424 Buhaya absent Confident -
The following quote characterises the people of Tanganyika (the broader region of which Buhaya formed part) as "pre-literate" in the early 19th century. "We do not know what inland Tanganyikans believed in the early nineteenth century. They were pre-literate, and the religions of pre-literate peoples not only leave little historical evidence but are characteristically eclectic, mutable, and unsystematic." [1]

[1]: (Iliffe 1979: 26) Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/GWWIKDDM/items/SB2AJMVC/collection.


425 Thanjavur Maratha Kingdom present Confident -
“In his Maratha Rule in the Carnatic, C.K. Srinivasan lists the various famous writers who enriched literature and philosophy with their works. There was an enormous literary output in Sanskrit, Telugu and Tamil, and it embraced every form of composition: epics, drama, romantic pieces, burlesques, treatise on medicine, astrology and music. [1]

[1]: (Appasamy 1980, 11) Appasamy, Jaya. 1980. Thanjavur Painting of the Maratha Period. Vol. 1. New Delhi. Abhinav Publications. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/7F5SEVNA/items/35BU75NG/collection


426 Late Pallava Empire present Confident -
“Inscriptions also reveal the names of the scholars and teachers who not only gave donations but taught various subjects such as Vedas, Vedangas, Itihasas, Puranas and various systems of philosophy. Bahur inscription records a land grant given by King Nriptunga Varman for a school at Bahur (the word Vidyasthana is used for school). The school was already well-established. Three villages were donated by the king. The learned men of the village controlled and maintained the institution. A wide variety of subjects were taught including subjects such as logic, Mimansa, Puranas, Vedangas, Sanskrit language, literature and grammar.” [1]

[1]: (Kamlesh 2010, 572) Kamelsh, Kapur. 2010. ‘The Pallava Dynasty’ In History of Ancient India: Portraits of a Nation. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Seshat URL: https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/collections/7F5SEVNA/items/UETBPIDE/collection


427 Portuguese Empire - Early Modern present Confident -
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428 Classic Tana unknown Suspected -
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429 Early Tana 1 unknown Suspected -
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430 Early Tana 1 unknown Suspected -
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431 Early Tana 2 unknown Suspected -
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432 Early Tana 2 unknown Suspected -
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433 Late East Africa Iron Age absent Confident -
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434 Late East Africa Iron Age absent Confident -
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435 Pre-Maravi absent Confident -
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436 Pre-Maravi absent Confident -
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437 Early Maravi absent Confident -
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438 Early Maravi absent Confident -
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439 Northern Maravi Kingdom absent Confident -
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440 Northern Maravi Kingdom absent Confident -
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441 Maravi Empire absent Confident -
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442 Maravi Empire absent Confident -
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443 Chandra Dynasty present Confident -
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444 British Empire IIIIIIIIII present Confident -
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445 Sena Dynasty present Confident -
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446 Yadava-Varman Dynasty present Confident -
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447 Holy Roman Empire - Ottonian-Salian Dynasty present Confident -
There were many religious and natural philosophical works in Europe and it was a very popular topic of the time. It also incorporated physics, metaphysics and ethics. [1]

[1]: Power 2006: 158-160. https://www.zotero.org/groups/1051264/seshat_databank/items/4V4WE3ZK