c.

c. AD 1200 – 1500 (Political Symbolism): The duho (ceremonial wooden stool) was a primary material indicator of a cacique’s authority and social status. Often carved from rare tropical hardwoods and inlaid with gold or shell, these stools were used during council meetings and spiritual rituals to physically elevate the chief above the rest of the community. Keegan and Hofman emphasize that the duho was more than furniture; it was a sacred object that materialized the chief’s role as a mediator between the human world and the spirits (cemís), making it a vital component of the “materiality of power” in the pre-Columbian Caribbean.