The Ancient Americas

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For efficiency's sake, some societies gave the responsibility for community decision-making over to certain individuals or small groups. The growing populations of these societies needed strong, centralized leadership to manage their resources.

A well-organized exchange network that created community access to exotic goods became one benefit of having a powerful leader. Monumental architecture that served the entire community was another, although many of these structures often reinforced class distinctions between leaders and common people in the community.

One example of a people who transitioned from communal decision-making to centralized leadership is that of the Taino people. In early Puerto Rican villages (300 BC to AD 600), large Taino homes housed several related families. But from AD 600 to 1200, people built smaller homes and large communal structures in village centers. This plus changes in burials suggest the Taino now had powerful leaders in charge of the community.

Dr. Antonio Curet
Take an expedition to the archaeological site of Tibes, Puerto Rico, to learn about the Taino people and their leaders. Your tour guide is Dr. Antonio Curet, Field Museum anthropologist and Associate Curator of Circum-Caribbean Archaeology.

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