Where Is the Chief? A Reevaluation of the Concepts of Chiefdoms and Cacicazgos in Caribbean Archaeology

Author(s): L. Antonio Curet; Jorge Estevez

Year: 2023

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2023: Individual Abstracts" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Traditionally, the terms chiefdoms and cacicazgos have been used throughout the Caribbean as synonyms of stratified sociopolitical systems encountered by Europeans at the time of contact. However, recent data unearthed by the Archaeological Project of the Ceremonial Center of Tibes put into question the applicability of these categories based on generic social models. The goals of this paper are (1) to discuss the history and meanings of the uses of these terms in the Caribbean, (2) identify some of their problems, and (3) propose some alternative strategies.

Cite this Record

Where Is the Chief? A Reevaluation of the Concepts of Chiefdoms and Cacicazgos in Caribbean Archaeology. L. Antonio Curet, Jorge Estevez. Presented at The 88th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology. 2023 ( tDAR id: 474423)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Keywords

General
Caciques • Intermediate Area • Social and Political Organization

Geographic Keywords
Caribbean

Spatial Coverage

min long: -90.747; min lat: 3.25 ; max long: -48.999; max lat: 27.683 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 35858.0