Glossary

Terms used across CivCodex: concepts, periods, institutions and units. Definitions are short and stable; proper names are not translated.

Astronomical year numberingunit
Year 0 exists and equals 1 BCE, so 3100 BCE is year -3099. Every year in the database is stored this way.
Bronze Ageperiod
The period defined by bronze metallurgy, roughly 3300 to 1200 BCE in the Near East. Dates differ by region.
Civilizationconcept
A complex society, knowledge, technology and cultural `system` formed by intelligent life or intelligent systems with the capacity for sustained accumulation.
Evidence levelconcept
The E0 to E5 scale every CivCodex statement carries, from fictional to confirmed.
Kardashev scaleconcept
A speculative scale of civilizations by energy use. Cited as a reference, never as a ranking.
Polityconcept
An organized political unit: a state, kingdom, empire or dynasty. Used in place of the ambiguous word country.