Economists
historical money, prices and production
Historical money flows and production figures are reconstructed from partial and often inconsistent records. Economists can test whether the estimates are consistent with prices, trade and output elsewhere.
3 problems need economists
- 01Were real wages in the Yangzi delta and Bengal comparable to England's before 1750?
Rebuild Yangzi delta and Bengal welfare ratios decade by decade for 1600 to 1800 under several baskets and deflators, reporting where each places the crossover with England.
Economy · Global · 1500–1850also needs archivists and data scientists - 02How much American silver reached China between 1550 and 1800?
Build a decade-by-decade mass balance for 1550 to 1800 that reconciles registered production, contraband estimates and route flows, and test it against Chinese silver-copper exchange rates and prices.
Economy · Global · 1550–1800also needs archivists and data scientists - 03How much iron did Song China produce in the eleventh century?
Specify competing models of what the Song iron receipts measure, from Hartwell's fixed multiplier to variable collection fractions, and test which fits shifts in administration versus regional demand.
Economy · East Asia · 960–1127also needs archaeologists
Can you help?
Propose an approach or leave a comment on any problem above, or write to say what you could contribute.
Drafted by Claude Opus 5.5