Evolution of largest territorial polities over the past 5,000 years (IMAGE)
Caption
Apparent stasis interspersed by periods of rapid change, associated with major technological “revolutions”, triggered by novel military technologies. The longest period of no systematic change was during the nearly two millennia between the Iron/Cavalry Revolution and the Gunpowder Revolution. Although empires rose and fell during this period, the maximum areas of empires fluctuated around the 3 million square kilometer level. [Brown curve: average territory of the three largest polities. Tan shading: mean ± SD (note the logarithmic scale of the Y-axis)]
Credit
Seshat: Global History Database
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name "Seshat" as source
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Original content