ECIN Replication Package for "The Long-Run Agglomeration Effects of Early Agriculture in Europe"

Principal Investigator(s): View help for Principal Investigator(s) Andrew Dickens, Brock University; Nils-Petter Lagerlof, York University (Canada)

Version: View help for Version V2

Name	File Type	Size	Last Modified
Dickens_Lagerlof_EI_2023			01/02/2023 04:39:PM

Project Citation:

Dickens, Andrew, and Lagerlof, Nils-Petter. ECIN Replication Package for “The Long-Run Agglomeration Effects of Early Agriculture in Europe.” Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2023-01-02. https://doi.org/10.3886/E182843V2

Project Description

Summary:

These codes and data allow replication of all results in the paper "The Long-Run Agglomeration Effects of Early Agriculture in Europe", to be published in Economic Inquiry.

Abstract of the paper: We study the effects of an early introduction of agriculture (Neolithic Transition) on modern agglomeration, using a new dataset on carbon dated organic materials found at archaeological sites in Northern Europe. We find a positive effect of early agriculture, in particular within countries, which contrasts with a negative or zero correlation found in older data covering a larger region that includes both Europe and the Middle East. However, we argue that these patterns are actually consistent with each other, because early agriculture can exert (1) positive long-run effects on urban agglomeration, while also giving rise to (2) extractive state institutions, which can hamper economic development. While (2) shows up in comparisons between countries and regions with more varied long-run development paths, such as the Middle East and Europe, (1) is easier to find within more homogeneous regions, such as Northern Europe, and especially within countries. We corroborate this interpretation with evidence of earlier city development close to sites with earlier Neolithic Transitions.

Scope of Project

Subject Terms: agriculture; carbon dating; cities

JEL Classification:
      N01 Development of the Discipline: Historiographical; Sources and Methods
      N13 Economic History: Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations: Europe: Pre-1913
      O13 Economic Development: Agriculture; Natural Resources; Energy; Environment; Other Primary Products
      O18 Economic Development: Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure

Manuscript Number: ECIN-Dec-2021-0662

Related Publications

Download this project

Published Versions

V2 [2023-01-02]

V1 [2022-11-08]

Export Metadata

Dublin Core

DDI 2.5

Report a Problem

Found a serious problem with the data, such as disclosure risk or copyrighted content? Let us know.

This material is distributed exactly as received from the data depositor. As of April 2026, depositors are required to submit study materials in accessible formats. ICPSR has not reviewed, checked, or processed this material. For additional information about the study, please contact the investigator(s) directly. If you have questions about the accessibility of materials distributed by ICPSR or require further assistance, please visit ICPSR's Accessibility Center.