The Ancient Americas

Featured Cultures

Hunter-gatherers and farming villagers lived in communities where everyone shared in the decision-making process. No one particular individual or group appears to have been in charge of leading the community. How do archaeologists know this? Because village sites show few signs of class divisions—everyone's homes were basically the same size, and everyone had equal access to resources.

Powerful Leaders Emerge
In some communities, people began to give up some of their decision-making power to a small group or a single leader. Why? Possibly because the community had grown so large that village projects were more efficiently completed when managed by a strong central leader rather than a large, unwieldy group.

Archaeologists know that a small group or individual was in charge of major decision making in the community when they find certain signs:

	Symbols of rank—larger homes located closer to resources and burials furnished with luxury items like jewelry and other status symbols, indicating that a class system had been established for those in positions of power.
	Exotic goods—luxury items made of non-native materials brought from far away, indicating that a strong exchange network with other distant communities had been established by organized, centralized leadership.
	Monumental architecture—large-scale building projects, such as roads, canals, and community centers, indicating a strong leader had been in charge of a large, well-orchestrated labor force.

Many different societies across the Americas gave up their communal decision-making process in favor of centralized authority. Select from a few of these societies below to learn more about how their lifestyles reflected their leadership status.

Colombian Societies

Hopewell Societies

Mississippian Societies

Continue to Colombian Societies. >>