SCORING RUBRICS

How we score civilizations

Every 1–5 score in the dataset is assigned using a published rubric with labeled tiers, definitions, diagnostic questions, and historical examples. Scores are absolute — a "3" means the same thing in 500 BCE and 1900 CE. Era-relative context (how exceptional a score is for its time) is computed at display time so users can see both the absolute level and the percentile ranking.

Governance
Economy
Society
Culture
Science
Military

Bureaucratic Sophistication

How formal and structured is the state's administrative machinery?

1 — Informal / Personal
No formal administrative roles; governance is personal.
2 — Feudal / Delegated
Governance delegated through personal relationships, lords and vassals.
3 — Organized Court
Recognized roles and departments exist; patronage-based appointments.
4 — Professional Bureaucracy
Structured departments, some merit-based selection, written codes.
5 — Advanced Civil Service
Formalized examination systems, meritocratic recruitment.

Rule of Law

How codified and consistently applied is the legal system?

1 — Ruler's Word
No codified legal system; justice is personal and arbitrary.
2 — Customary / Traditional
Unwritten but recognized customs govern disputes.
3 — Codified but Inconsistent
Written legal codes exist but application is uneven.
4 — Systematic Legal Tradition
Established legal tradition with trained jurists and precedent.
5 — Independent Judiciary
Formal separation of judicial function; laws apply to rulers too.

Political Stability

How secure and continuous is the political order?

1 — Collapse / Civil War
Active internal conflict or state dissolution.
2 — Serious Instability
Frequent coups, rebellions, or succession crises.
3 — Stable but Tense
Functioning state with underlying tensions.
4 — Broadly Stable
Long-term political continuity, peaceful successions.
5 — Golden Age Stability
Extended period of internal peace and prosperity.

Trade Importance

How significant is this entity in regional and global trade networks?

1 — Isolated / Self-sufficient
Little to no trade with outside regions.
2 — Local / Occasional
Some trade with neighbors but not economically significant.
3 — Regional Networks
Active trade within a broader region; recognized trade routes.
4 — Major Trade Node
Significant player in long-distance trade.
5 — Global Trade Hub
Dominant position in international commerce.

Financial Sophistication

How advanced are financial instruments and institutions?

1 — Barter / Gift Economy
No standardized medium of exchange.
2 — Coinage / Standardized Value
Standardized currency enables market exchange.
3 — Banking / Credit
Lending institutions, deposit-taking, basic credit systems.
4 — Bills of Exchange / Insurance
Sophisticated instruments, merchant-banking families.
5 — Stock Markets / Complex Instruments
Formal exchanges, tradeable shares, bonds.

Economic Mobility

How possible is it for individuals to change economic class?

1 — Rigid / Hereditary
Born into your position; caste, serfdom, or slavery blocks movement.
2 — Very Limited
Mobility technically possible but extremely rare.
3 — Merchant Class Rising
Trade creates a pathway to wealth outside landed/noble class.
4 — Meaningful Mobility
Multiple paths to advancement; emerging middle class visible.
5 — Fluid Boundaries
Class boundaries largely economic rather than legal.

Gender Autonomy

What degree of legal and social agency do women hold?

1 — Extremely Restricted
Women have virtually no legal personhood.
2 — Heavily Restricted
Limited rights; primarily defined by relationship to male relatives.
3 — Moderate Autonomy
Recognized rights in some domains; women visible in economic life.
4 — Significant Participation
Meaningful participation in economic, cultural, or political life.
5 — Relatively Equal
Legal and social equality broadly achieved.

Social Stratification

How rigid is the social hierarchy? (Note: higher = more rigid)

1 — Relatively Egalitarian
Minimal formal hierarchy; status based on skill, age, or achievement.
2 — Emerging Hierarchy
Clear status differences but boundaries somewhat permeable.
3 — Class System with Permeability
Distinct classes but movement possible through wealth or service.
4 — Rigid Class System
Legally defined classes; movement rare and notable.
5 — Caste / Absolute
Movement virtually forbidden by religious or legal sanction.

Education Access

How widely available is formal education?

1 — None / Elite Only
No formal education; literacy confined to priests or rulers.
2 — Religious Institutions
Education primarily through monasteries, madrasas, temple schools.
3 — Some Formal Schools
Secular schools emerging; merchant classes gaining access.
4 — Widespread Education
Formal schooling available to significant portion of population.
5 — Universal / Meritocratic
Education expected for all; examination systems.

Cultural Output Intensity

How prolific and influential is the civilization's cultural production?

1 — Survival Mode
Society focused on basic survival, little cultural production.
2 — Functional Culture
Folk traditions and religious art, limited in scope.
3 — Regional Cultural Production
Recognizable artistic traditions, skilled artisans.
4 — Major Cultural Flowering
Significant output influencing neighboring civilizations.
5 — Civilizational Peak / Golden Age
Extraordinary output defining the civilization.

Technological Level

What is the overall level of applied technology?

1 — Stone / Basic Tools
Simple tools, fire use, basic shelter construction.
2 — Metalworking / Agriculture
Bronze or iron tools, plow agriculture, pottery.
3 — Advanced Engineering
Large-scale construction, sophisticated metalworking, shipbuilding.
4 — Mechanical / Pre-industrial
Clockwork, gunpowder weapons, printing, precision instruments.
5 — Industrial+
Steam power, mechanized production, mass manufacturing.

Medical Sophistication

How advanced is the practice of medicine?

1 — Spiritual / Herbal Only
Healing through ritual, prayer, or unstructured remedies.
2 — Organized Traditional Medicine
Recognized healers with codified systems and herbal pharmacopeia.
3 — Systematic Medical Traditions
Comprehensive texts, diagnostic frameworks, hospitals, specializations.
4 — Evidence-based Emerging
Anatomy advancing through dissection; clinical observation replacing theory.
5 — Modern Evidence-based
Germ theory, antibiotics, controlled trials, public health systems.

Mathematical Sophistication

What level of mathematical knowledge and application?

1 — Basic Counting
Number systems for counting and simple record-keeping.
2 — Arithmetic / Practical Geometry
Basic operations, fractions, geometry for surveying.
3 — Algebra / Advanced Geometry
Systematic equation-solving, proofs, trigonometry.
4 — Calculus-adjacent
Infinite series, proto-calculus, advanced number theory.
5 — Advanced / Formal
Calculus, statistics, formal logic; mathematics as professional discipline.

Military Sophistication

How professionalized and capable is the military?

1 — Militia / Tribal Raiding
No standing army; fighting force drawn from population.
2 — Organized Warband
Dedicated warrior class, some training and specialization.
3 — Professional Army
Standing army with formal ranks, training, standardized equipment.
4 — Advanced Military System
Professional army with sophisticated logistics and combined arms.
5 — Industrial / Modern Military
Mass armies, advanced weapons technology, staff systems.

Diplomatic Reach

How far does this entity's diplomatic network extend?

1 — Isolated
No regular contact beyond immediate neighbors.
2 — Neighbor Relations
Diplomatic contact limited to adjacent regions.
3 — Regional Alliances
Active diplomatic network across a broader region.
4 — Trans-regional Influence
Diplomatic relations spanning multiple regions or continents.
5 — Global Diplomatic Network
Diplomatic presence worldwide.

Threat Level

How severe are external military threats? (Higher = more danger)

1 — Secure
No significant external military threat.
2 — Minor Threats
Some border skirmishes but no existential danger.
3 — Significant Pressure
Real military threats demanding substantial resources.
4 — Severe Danger
Major external threats actively threatening core territory.
5 — Existential / Collapse
External forces actively dismantling the state.