c.

c. AD 1200 – 1500 (Theory): Keegan and Hofman argue that the “Carib” and “Taíno” labels are colonial constructs that fail to capture the fluid and interactive nature of pre-Columbian Caribbean societies. They suggest that the “man-eating Carib” narrative was likely a strategic exaggeration by the Spanish to justify the legal enslavement of groups who resisted their authority. In reality, the Caribbean was a mosaic of diverse communities that maintained complex networks of trade, marriage, and warfare regardless of European ethnic categories. By deconstructing these historical dichotomies, researchers can focus on the actual social configurations and cultural hybridity present at the time of encounter.