Home Region:  Mexico (North America)

Monte Alban III

200 CE 500 CE
EQ 2020  mx_monte_alban_3_a / MxAlb3A
Preceding Entity: Add one more here.
100 BCE 200 CE Monte Alban II (mx_monte_alban_2)    [continuity]

Succeeding Entity: Add one more here.
500 CE 900 CE Monte Alban IIIB and IV (mx_monte_alban_3_b_4)    [continuity]

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  General Description  
The Monte Albán IIIA phase (200-500 CE) is generally regarded as the ’golden age’ or Classic period of the Zapotec state, [1] due to the widespread uniformity of ceramics and monumental construction as well as increased economic and political integration, centred at Monte Albán. [2] [3] The population of the capital, Monte Albán, continued to grow and the construction of monumental buildings at the site reached its peak. These buildings dominate what can be seen at the ruins of Monte Albán today. [4] [2] Additional settlements were established in the piedmont area (including Jalieza with 13,000 inhabitants in the southern sub-valley and Dainzú-Macuilxochitl-Tlacochahuaya-Guadalupe [DMTG] with 12,000 inhabitants in the eastern sub-valley). [4] [5] The movement of people into the piedmont areas may imply an increase in demand for agricultural labour during this period. [6] The territorial extent of the Zapotec state, on the other hand, decreased during this period in the face of increasingly powerful competitors on the borders of the state. Previously subordinate areas, such as the Sola Valley, became independent of the Zapotec state. [7] [8] [9]
Population and political organization
Five named rulers are known for this 400-year period, identified in public monuments in the vicinity of the Main Plaza of Monte Albán. [10] Status appears to have been inherited and related to one’s proximity to apical ancestors. [11] Burial remains and the differences in construction of residential buildings suggest two class-endogamous strata during this period, with the majority of the population (an estimated 96-98 percent) belonging to the commoner class. [12] The Zapotecs focused on internal consolidation: an increasing proportion of settlements were in defensible locations or had fortifications, and there was agricultural intensification in the piedmont and high alluvium zones. [13] There was also a pattern of settlement clustering around the main centres, similar to the pattern shown in the Monte Albán Late I phase (300-100 BCE), except the clustering occurred around secondary centres as well as around the primary centre, Monte Albán. [14]
Archaeologists Joyce Marcus and Kent Flannery estimate the population of the valley to have been around 115,000 people during this period. [15] A population range of 15,000-30,000 for Monte Albán is based on the estimated number of people living in each of the households at the site. Larger households may have included 10-20 people, while 5-10 may have lived in the smaller households, although this may be an underestimate. [16]

[1]: (Balkansky 1998, 472) A. K. Balkansky. 1998. ’Origin and Collapse of Complex Societies in Oaxaca, Mexico: Evaluating the Era from 1965 to the Present’. Journal of World Prehistory 12 (4): 451-93.

[2]: (Flannery and Marcus 1983, 127-28) Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery. 1983. ’The Early Urban Period: Editors’ Introduction’, in The Cloud People: Divergent Evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec Civilizations, edited by Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery, 127-28. New York: Academic Press.

[3]: (Blanton et al. 1982, 85, 88-9) Richard E. Blanton, R. E., et al. 1982. Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part 1: The Prehispanic Settlement Patterns of the Central and Southern Parts of the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. Prehistory and Human Ecology of the Valley of Oaxaca, Vol. 7. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology.

[4]: (Balkansky 1998, 473) A. K. Balkansky. 1998. ’Origin and Collapse of Complex Societies in Oaxaca, Mexico: Evaluating the Era from 1965 to the Present’. Journal of World Prehistory 12 (4): 451-93.

[5]: (Feinman et al. 1985, 351) Gary M. Feinman, Stephen A. Kowalewski, Laura Finsten, Richard E. Blanton and Linda Nicholas. 1985. ’Long-Term Demographic Change: A Perspective from the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico’. Journal of Field Archaeology 12 (3): 333-62.

[6]: (Blanton et al. 1982, 91) Richard E. Blanton, R. E., et al. 1982. Monte Albán’s Hinterland, Part 1: The Prehispanic Settlement Patterns of the Central and Southern Parts of the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. Prehistory and Human Ecology of the Valley of Oaxaca, Vol. 7. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology.

[7]: (Balkansky 1998, 474) A. K. Balkansky. 1998. ’Origin and Collapse of Complex Societies in Oaxaca, Mexico: Evaluating the Era from 1965 to the Present’. Journal of World Prehistory 12 (4): 451-93.

[8]: (Spencer 1982, 254) Charles S. Spencer. 1982. The Cuicatlán Cañada and Monte Albán: A Study of Primary State Formation. New York: Academic Press.

[9]: (Balkansky 2002, 51) A. K. Balkansky. 2002. The Sola Valley and The Monte Albán State: A Study of Zapotec Imperial Expansion. Prehistory and Human Ecology of The Valley Of Oaxaca, Vol. 12. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Museum of Anthropology.

[10]: (Blanton et al. 1999, 128) Richard E. Blanton, Gary M. Feinman, Stephen A. Kowalewski and Linda M. Nicholas. 1999. Ancient Oaxaca. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[11]: (Joyce 2009, 215-17) Arthur A. Joyce. 2009. Mixtecs, Zapotecs, and Chatinos: Ancient Peoples of Southern Mexico. Malden, MA: Wiley‐Blackwell.

[12]: (Flannery 1983, 136) Kent V. Flannery. 1983. ’The Legacy of the Early Urban Period: An Ethnohistoric Approach to Monte Albán’s Temples, Residences, and Royal Tombs’, in The Cloud People: Divergent Evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec Civilizations, edited by Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery, 132-36. New York: Academic Press.

[13]: (Marcus and Flannery 1996, 228-29) Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery. 1996. Zapotec Civilization: How Urban Society Evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. London: Thames and Hudson.

[14]: (Blanton et al. 1979, 382) Richard E. Blanton, Jill Appel, Laura Finsten, Steve Kowalewski, Gary Feinman and Eva Fisch. 1979. ’Regional Evolution in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico’. Journal of Field Archaeology 6 (4): 369-90.

[15]: (Marcus and Flannery 1996, 224) Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery. 1996. Zapotec Civilization: How Urban Society Evolved in Mexico’s Oaxaca Valley. London: Thames and Hudson.

[16]: (Flannery and Marcus 1983, 128) Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery. 1983. ’The Early Urban Period: Editors’ Introduction’, in The Cloud People: Divergent Evolution of the Zapotec and Mixtec Civilizations, edited by Joyce Marcus and Kent V. Flannery, 127-28. New York: Academic Press.

Economy Variables (Luxury Goods) Coding in Progress.
Religion Variables Coding in Progress.
Crisis Consequence Cases Coding in Progress.
Power Transitions Coding in Progress.
Instability Events Coding in Progress.

NGA Settlements:

Year Range Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a) was in:
 (200 CE 499 CE) Valley of Oaxaca
Home NGA: Valley of Oaxaca

General Variables
Identity and Location Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Utm Zone 14 Q 200 CE  500 CE
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Original Name Monte Alban III 200 CE  500 CE
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Capital 200 CE  500 CE
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Alternative Name Early Classic 200 CE  500 CE
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Temporal Bounds Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Duration
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Political and Cultural Relations Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Suprapolity Relations 200 CE  500 CE
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Supracultural Entity 200 CE  500 CE
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Succeeding Entity MxAlb3B 200 CE  500 CE
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Relationship to Preceding Entity 200 CE  500 CE
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Succeeding Entity
500 CE 900 CE
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Preceding Entity
100 BCE 200 CE
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Degree of Centralization 200 CE  500 CE
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Language Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Linguistic Family Otomanguean 200 CE  500 CE
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Language 200 CE  500 CE
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Religion Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Religious Tradition Monte Albán Religion 200 CE  500 CE
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Social Complexity Variables
Social Scale Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Population of the Largest Settlement 200 CE  500 CE
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Polity Territory 200 CE  500 CE
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Polity Population 200 CE  500 CE
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Hierarchical Complexity Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Settlement Hierarchy 200 CE  500 CE
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Religious Level 200 CE  500 CE
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Military Level 200 CE  500 CE
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Administrative Level 200 CE  500 CE
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Professions Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Professional Soldier 200 CE  500 CE
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Professional Priesthood 200 CE  500 CE
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Professional Military Officer 200 CE  500 CE
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Bureaucracy Characteristics Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Specialized Government Building 200 CE  500 CE
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Merit Promotion 200 CE  500 CE
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Full Time Bureaucrat 200 CE  500 CE
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Examination System 200 CE  500 CE
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Law Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Professional Lawyer 200 CE  500 CE
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Judge 200 CE  500 CE
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200 CE  500 CE
Court 200 CE  500 CE
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Specialized Buildings: polity owned Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Market 200 CE  500 CE
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Irrigation System 200 CE  500 CE
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Food Storage Site 200 CE  500 CE
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Drinking Water Supply System 200 CE  500 CE
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Transport Infrastructure Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Road 200 CE  500 CE
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Port 200 CE  500 CE
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Canal 200 CE  500 CE
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Bridge 200 CE  500 CE
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Special-purpose Sites Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Mines or Quarry 200 CE  500 CE
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Information / Writing System Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Written Record 200 CE  500 CE
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Script 200 CE  500 CE
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Phonetic Alphabetic Writing 200 CE  500 CE
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Nonwritten Record 200 CE  500 CE
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Non Phonetic Writing 200 CE  500 CE
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Mnemonic Device 200 CE  500 CE
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Information / Kinds of Written Documents Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Scientific Literature 200 CE  500 CE
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Sacred Text 200 CE  500 CE
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Religious Literature 200 CE  500 CE
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Practical Literature 200 CE  500 CE
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Philosophy 200 CE  500 CE
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Lists Tables and Classification 200 CE  500 CE
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History 200 CE  500 CE
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Fiction 200 CE  500 CE
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Calendar 200 CE  500 CE
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Information / Money Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Token 200 CE  500 CE
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Precious Metal 200 CE  500 CE
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Paper Currency 200 CE  500 CE
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Indigenous Coin 200 CE  500 CE
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Foreign Coin 200 CE  500 CE
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Article 200 CE  500 CE
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Information / Postal System Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Postal Station 200 CE  500 CE
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General Postal Service 200 CE  500 CE
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Courier 200 CE  500 CE
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Information / Measurement System Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Warfare Variables (Military Technologies)
Fortifications Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Wooden Palisade 200 CE  500 CE
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Stone Walls Non Mortared 200 CE  500 CE
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Stone Walls Mortared 200 CE  500 CE
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Settlements in a Defensive Position 200 CE  500 CE
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Modern Fortification 200 CE  500 CE
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Moat 200 CE  500 CE
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Fortified Camp Unknown Suspected 200 CE  500 CE
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Earth Rampart 200 CE  500 CE
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Ditch 200 CE  500 CE
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Complex Fortification 200 CE  500 CE
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Long Wall unknown Suspected 200 CE  500 CE
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Military use of Metals Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Steel 200 CE  500 CE
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Iron 200 CE  500 CE
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Copper 200 CE  500 CE
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Bronze 200 CE  500 CE
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Projectiles Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Tension Siege Engine Absent 200 CE  500 CE
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Sling Siege Engine Absent 200 CE  500 CE
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Sling 200 CE  500 CE
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Self Bow 200 CE  500 CE
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Javelin 200 CE  500 CE
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Handheld Firearm 200 CE  500 CE
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Gunpowder Siege Artillery 200 CE  500 CE
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Crossbow 200 CE  500 CE
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Composite Bow 200 CE  500 CE
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Atlatl 200 CE  500 CE
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Handheld weapons Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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War Club 200 CE  500 CE
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Sword 200 CE  500 CE
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Sword 200 CE  500 CE
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Spear 200 CE  500 CE
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Polearm 200 CE  500 CE
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Dagger 200 CE  500 CE
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Dagger 200 CE  500 CE
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Battle Axe 200 CE  500 CE
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Animals used in warfare Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Horse 200 CE  500 CE
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Elephant 200 CE  500 CE
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Donkey 200 CE  500 CE
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Dog 200 CE  500 CE
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Camel 200 CE  500 CE
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Armor Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Wood Bark Etc 200 CE  500 CE
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Shield 200 CE  500 CE
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Scaled Armor 200 CE  500 CE
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Plate Armor 200 CE  500 CE
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Limb Protection 200 CE  500 CE
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Leather Cloth 200 CE  500 CE
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Laminar Armor 200 CE  500 CE
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Helmet 200 CE  500 CE
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Chainmail 200 CE  500 CE
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Breastplate 200 CE  500 CE
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Naval technology Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Specialized Military Vessel 200 CE  500 CE
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Small Vessels Canoes Etc 200 CE  500 CE
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Merchant Ships Pressed Into Service 200 CE  500 CE
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Economy Variables (Luxury Goods)
Religion Variables
Moralizing Supernatural Punishment and Reward Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
Variable Coded Value / Certainty Tags Year(s) See More
Moralizing Enforcement is Broad 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Concern is Primary 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Agentic 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in This Life 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Supernatural Punishment And Reward 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Commoners 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Targeted 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement in Afterlife 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Religion Adopted by Elites 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement of Rulers 200 CE  500 CE
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Moralizing Enforcement is Certain 200 CE  500 CE
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Human Sacrifice Monte Alban III (mx_monte_alban_3_a)
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Instability Data
Power Transitions