Seshat – General Variables
“This section of the Seshat database focuses on the essential aspects of polity organization and dynamics. It includes data on alternative name, original name, and capital, which provide information on how polities were identified. Variables such as degree of centralization, peak years, and duration reveal the administrative, temporal, and structural characteristics of past societies. Additionally, this section captures the relationships and interactions between polities, including preceding entity, succeeding entity, and relationship to preceding entity. Religious and cultural contexts are represented through variables like religion, religious tradition, and scale of supracultural interaction. Furthermore, linguistic and territorial attributes are documented, including language, language genus, linguistic family, and UTM zone.”