c. AD 1200 – 1500 (Theory): The “Galactic Polity” model for the Greater Antilles suggests that theocratic chiefdoms were organized into nested hierarchies of settlements, with a primary center exerting influence over…

c. AD 1200 – 1500 (Theory): The “Galactic Polity” model for the Greater Antilles suggests that theocratic chiefdoms were organized into nested hierarchies of settlements, with a primary center exerting influence over several secondary and tertiary villages. This structure was reinforced through the performance of public rituals, such as the areíto (communal song and dance), and the distribution of prestige goods from the center to the periphery. Keegan and Hofman argue that this political system allowed for the mobilization of labor on a scale sufficient to build the extensive plaza complexes and earthworks found in Ayiti and Puerto Rico. This framework provides a mechanism for understanding how social order was maintained across large geographic distances without a formal state apparatus.