Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Postal sytems

Postal Station

postal stations are specialized buildings exclusively devoted to the postal service. if there is a special building that has other functions than a postal station, we still code postal station as present. the intent is to capture additional infrastructure beyond having a corps of messengers.   (See here)
Contributors:

Variable Definition
Polity The Seshat Polity ID
Year(s) The years for which we have the data. [negative = BCE]
Tag [Evidenced, Disputed, Suspected, Inferred, Unknown]
Verified A Seshat Expert has approved this piece of data.

Variable Definition
postal_station The absence or presence of postal station for a polity.

# Polity Year(s) Postal Station Description   Edit
71
(Neguanje)
Full Year Range of Neguanje is assumed.
[250, 1050]
unknown
None
72
(Early United Mexican States)
Full Year Range of Early United Mexican States is assumed.
[1810, 1920]
present
None
73
(Egypt - Kushite Period)
Full Year Range of Egypt - Kushite Period is assumed.
[-747, -656]
unknown
None
74
(Songhai Empire - Askiya Dynasty)
Full Year Range of Songhai Empire - Askiya Dynasty is assumed.
[1493, 1591]
uncoded
unknown An important courier service connected the court to various cities and towns, guaranteeing the transmission of the Askia's orders. "Un important service de courrier relie la cour aux différentes villes et chef-lieux assurant la transmission des ordres de l'Askia." [Niane 1975, p. 106]
75
(Susa III)
Full Year Range of Susa III is assumed.
[-3100, -2675]
uncoded
"the Sumerian civilisation which flourished before 3500 BC. This was an advanced civilisation building cities and supporting the people with irrigation systems, a legal system, administration, and even a postal service. Writing developed and counting was based on a sexagesimal system, that is to say base 60." [O'Connor_Robertson 0] -- presumably postal stations would have been necessary for an ancient postal service.
76
(Sakha - Early)
Full Year Range of Sakha - Early is assumed.
[1400, 1632]
absent
None
77
(Warring States Japan)
Full Year Range of Warring States Japan is assumed.
[1467, 1568]
uncoded
present for preceding period
78
(Sakha - Late)
Full Year Range of Sakha - Late is assumed.
[1632, 1900]
present
None
79
(Byzantine Empire I)
Full Year Range of Byzantine Empire I is assumed.
[632, 866]
present
None
80
(Banu Ghaniya)
Full Year Range of Banu Ghaniya is assumed.
[1126, 1227]
absent
EMPTY_COMMENT
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