Economies ‘Lost’ in Time

Abstract

It is sometimes claimed by general historians, possibly with a degree of satisfaction, that quantitative economic history will always be restricted to the modern period owing to the lack of reliable statistical data before the seventeenth century. As one well-known scholar has recently written:’ Unfortunately, economic statistics from the distant past are very, very poor, or they are simply not available at the macro- or whole society level, so that we cannot go in for real measurement. This is no field for the strict cliometrician, who thus misses working on some fascinating periods . . . or doing much comparative work – at least until cliometricians start compiling more of their own statistical series from primary resources.

From the depth of knowledge past

(John Milton, 1667)