Binary Accounting

The inhabitants of the southern area of Polvera's largest pre-catastrophe continent (designated as Culture B, by the initial survey team) were, by far, the most advanced civilization of their era. Preliminary information from the most significant digs points to three major factors in their advancement:

  1. Progressive military thought far in advance of any of their neighbors
  2. Access to three of the four major oceans of the planet
  3. Binary Accounting

It is this third factor that is arguably the most significant because it allowed them to run the empire's finances on two different levels. The lower form of accounting was for the shopkeepers and other civilian members of the merchant class. The higher form was far more complex and was used by the government, clergy, military, and the largest of businesses. Each level insulated the other to some extent so that economic downturns, such as the one which followed the Salt Wars, had a much smaller impact upon the empire as a whole.

They also recovered more quickly and thoroughly from their own financial mistakes though the precise causes of some of these incidents are in dispute. One thing which is not in dispute is that Culture B's fabulous wealth allowed them to construct the Ziggurat of Heos just outside the capital city of one of their greatest enemies.

by 3Steve Weinberg

See Also:
Salt Wars
Ziggurat of Heos


This is an ABC entry in the Polvera Lexicon

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