Subnational Persistence of State History: Evidence from Geolocalized Civilizations

Abstract This paper uses a novel data set that geolocalizes civilizations across the globe and human history. The data document roughly 1,450 civilizations over 500 time-periods. I spatially and temporally aggregate the civilizations to pre-defined grid-cells to show accumulated civilization years are statistically linked to contemporary nighttime lights and population. The data allow for di↵ering historical cuto↵s to examine deeper and more proximate mechanisms of state history. Estimates illustrate di↵ering roles for state history between the New World, where colonial settlement patterns describe the spatial distribution of people and output, and the Old World, where longer settled areas are tied to better institutional quality. JEL-Classification: O11, O43, N10, R12