The Salt Road at MC-6, a Public Work Empowering the Cacique

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Advances in the Archaeology of the Bahama Archipelago" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Middle Caicos, in the Turks & Caicos islands hosted a protohistoric Chiefdom in the Classic Taino tradition as demonstrated by evidence of regional exchange, key resource control, social stratification, monumental public works, and the use of public ceremonial space that reflected advanced astronomical and calendric knowledge among the elite at a complex site, MC-6. Organization of public labor by an empowered cacique at MC-6 is reflected in the construction of a road, stretching from the edge of ceremonial space in the main plaza to a large deposit of a key resource, salt (hereafter the Salt Road). Control of trade in salt helped energize a regional exchange network that reinforced the social status and authority of the MC-6 cacique, and of associated kin and allies. The Salt Road is considered in the context of its reflection of centralized planning, control of public labor as well as of a key resource, and with regard to societal expenditure of time and energy, material and social gain, associated ceremonialism, and reinforcement of the authority of the cacique and associates.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)   •
• Advances in the Archaeology of the Bahama Archipelago

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23120