Section: Social Complexity
Subsection: Hierarchical Complexity

Settlement Hierarchy

settlement hierarchy records (in levels) the hierarchy of not just settlement sizes, but also their complexity as reflected in different roles they play within the (quasi)polity. as settlements become more populous they acquire more complex functions: transportational (e.g. port); economic (e.g. market); administrative (e.g. storehouse, local government building); cultural (e.g. theatre); religious (e.g. temple), utilitarian (e.g. hospital), monumental (e.g. statues, plazas). example: (1) large city (monumental structures, theatre, market, hospital, central government buildings) (2) city (market, theatre, regional government buildings) (3) large town (market, administrative buildings) (4) town (administrative buildings, storehouse)) (5) village (shrine) (6) hamlet (residential only). in the narrative paragraph explain the different levels and list their functions. provide a (crude) estimate of population sizes. for example, large town (market, temple, administrative buildings): 2,000-5,000 inhabitants.   (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
settlement_hierarchy_from The lower range of settlement hierarchy for a polity.
settlement_hierarchy_to The upper range of settlement hierarchy for a polity.

# Polity Year(s) Settlement Hierarchy from Settlement Hierarchy to Description   Edit
191
(Magadha - Sunga Empire)
Full Year Range of Magadha - Sunga Empire is assumed.
[-187, -65]
4
4
None
192
(Southern Mesopotamia Neolithic)
Full Year Range of Southern Mesopotamia Neolithic is assumed.
[-9000, -5501]
1
2
None
193
(Kingdom of Lydia)
Full Year Range of Kingdom of Lydia is assumed.
[-670, -546]
3
5
None
194
(Lysimachus Kingdom)
Full Year Range of Lysimachus Kingdom is assumed.
[-323, -281]
3
3
None
195
(Konya Plain - Ceramic Neolithic)
Full Year Range of Konya Plain - Ceramic Neolithic is assumed.
[-7000, -6600]
1
1
None
196
(Konya Plain - Early Neolithic)
Full Year Range of Konya Plain - Early Neolithic is assumed.
[-9600, -7000]
1
1
None
197
(Konya Plain - Late Neolithic)
Full Year Range of Konya Plain - Late Neolithic is assumed.
[-6600, -6000]
1
1
None
198
(Ottoman Empire III)
Full Year Range of Ottoman Empire III is assumed.
[1683, 1839]
6
6
None
199
(Early Illinois Confederation)
Full Year Range of Early Illinois Confederation is assumed.
[1640, 1717]
1
3
None
200
(Ottoman Empire IV)
Full Year Range of Ottoman Empire IV is assumed.
[1839, 1922]
6
6
Large City (e.g., Istanbul, Cairo):
Population: 100,000–1,000,000. City (e.g., Aleppo, Izmir):
Population: 20,000–100,000.
Large Town (e.g., Konya, Edirne):
Population: 5,000–20,000.
Town:
Population: 2,000–5,000.
Village:
Population: 200–2,000.
Hamlet:
Population: <200. [Quataert 2005]
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