2017 (Theory): Modern scholarship emphasizes that current confusion regarding pre-Columbian social structures often stems from conflating the terms “egalitar…

2017 (Theory): Modern scholarship emphasizes that current confusion regarding pre-Columbian social structures often stems from conflating the terms “egalitarian” and “autonomous.” While “egalitarian” refers to a social structure with limited inherited rank, “autonomous” defines a community’s capacity for independent action and self-governance. The distribution of Saladoid sites across the archipelago confirms that these villages functioned as largely independent units despite their shared material culture. Researchers argue that these societies were organized through a combination of hierarchical ranking and “heterarchical” associations between lineages. Recognizing the difference between these concepts allows for a more nuanced understanding of how ancient Caribbean leaders managed power and communal labor.