CARIBBEAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL

SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

Candidate Names: Mykal Lee, Chadrick Saddler, Joel Williams, Tristan Newell,
Carlos Williams, Tunlain Powell

Candidate Numbers (Respective):

School: Wolmer’s Boys’ School

School Centre Number: 100128

Title of Study: How similar was the economic organization of Maya, Taino and Kalinago
societies in the Pre-Columbian period?

Name of Teacher: Ms. DaCosta

Territory: Jamaica

Year of Examination: 2024

The candidates would like to thank Ms. Lewin and Ms. DaCosta for giving this assignment to us. We would also
like to thank the Caribbean Examinations Council for allowing us this opportunity to demonstrate our proficiency
in Caribbean History. Lastly, we would like to congratulate each other on our mutual cooperation in the
completion of this piece.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Rationale 4

Introduction 5

Body 6

Conclusion 13

Bibliography 14

Appendix ?
 RATIONALE (128)

The topic for this School Based Assessment explores the economies of the Maya, The Kalinago and the
Taino, who may be further referred to as the main indigenous groups, before European influence. As these groups
were all active simultaneously and under similar circumstances, we, the candidates, wanted to evaluate their
individual societal accomplishments using a suitable subject --- their economies. Correspondingly, we have
chosen appropriate aspects of typical economies and intend to relay their prominence in the main indigenous
groups. Furthermore, we also strive to provide credible and relevant information on the topic and full transparency
of our sources, while providing the reader with a satisfactory understanding of the cultures and natures of the
main indigenous groups. In account of all the aforementioned ambitions, this topic was naturally chosen.
 INTRODUCTION (137)

The main indigenous groups occupied the Caribbean region long before European contact (Mahase et al.
10, 12, 16). By 1492, when the Europeans arrived in the Caribbean, the Mayans were settling in the Yucatan
Peninsula, while the Kalinago and Taino were occupying the Lesser and Greater Antilles (Civilization.ca; Mahase
et al. 10). These groups have long gone extinct; which makes one ponder – how similar were the economies of
these groups? To answer this question, 5 main points will be considered in this piece, as it relates to the groups
individually. Firstly, the currencies used in commerce will be determined. Secondly, the political leaders’
involvement in their economies will be compared. Thirdly, the role barter played in exchange will be examined.
Fourthly, how one’s social class related to their economic contribution will be collated. Lastly, the main type of
economic systems observed in these groups will be discerned.
 CURRENCY (112)

The main indigenous groups' varying societal factors are fundamental to their different approaches to
currency – a theme replicated between the Maya and the Arawaks (the Taino and the Kalinago). Due to
anthropology, we know that the Mayans documented cacao beans in their codices as valuable coins that were
sought out for their various domestic uses (Vail). Conversely, the Arawaks had little need for currency as their
economies relied on subsistence and barter (Mahase et al. 12-13, 15). Upon arriving in the Caribbean, the
Europeans observed that the Arawaks depended on agriculture to fulfill their requirements (Columbus; Fernández
de Oviedo Y Valdéz). The simple needs of the Arawaks justify the omission of currency from their economies,
unlike the Mayans who had more complex demands.
 POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT (113)

The main indigenous groups’ leaders’ involvement in their economies varied. In Mayan societies, the
leaders took economic stances that aligned with their larger populations. The Halach Uinics regulated major
trading relationships, while the batabs collected local government taxes (Hudson Museum; Mahase et al. 16).
Alternatively, the Taino leaders -- the Caciques -- were more thorough, organizing the agricultural industries in a
manner that facilitated the equal distribution of food and labour (Taino Museum; Mahase et al. 13). Interestingly,
the Kalinago leaders – the Ouboutus – participated in their economies with the raids they led which captured
women who were responsible for gathering and preparing most of the food -- inadvertently boosting their
economies (Taylor, 181; Mahase et al., 16). Although disparate, the leaders of the main indigenous groups all
display involvement in their economies.
 BARTER (99)

Barter has been incorporated in economies for centuries, including those of the main indigenous groups.
To start, the Mayans developed a bartering system that catered to their demanding market (Johnson; Mahase et
al. 10-12). When surpluses were created, traders – typically exchanging crops or minerals -- would mobilize
themselves along specific trade routes which extended along Mesoamerica (Webster; Johnson; Minister).
Contrarily, the narrow gap between the respective communities of the Taino and Kalinago facilitated simple
trading networks along rivers and between islands, in which crops and other staples were typically traded (Pane;
Columbus; Fernández de Oviedo Y Valdéz). Once again, the Mayans displayed their greater economic
advancement in comparison to their Arawak counterparts.
 SOCIO-ECONOMICAL THEMES (121) (RMMBR TO ADD SOURCES)

A notable feature of the main indigenous groups was their individual social structures; but did higher
economic contribution correlate with higher social status? In response to this question, in Mayan societies, the
Halach Uinics, the highest class, regulated trading relationships, while commoners, who were slaves, created the
surpluses that facilitate trade. Similarly, in Taino societies, the Caciques, the highest class, organized labor and
distributed goods, while the lower class fulfilled their demands. Alternately, in Kalinago society, women, who
were slaves, carried out most of the agricultural and domestic tasks, while the men, the dominant class, did less
menial tasks like fishing or gathering. Consequently, one can deduce that, across all indigenous groups, economic
contribution did not correlate with high social status.
 ECONOMIC SYSTEMS (117) (SOURCES)

The economic systems of the indigenous groups are a true reflection of their integral distinction. Accordingly, the
Mayans operated under a mixed economic system, which is exemplified in their government’s involvement in
trade while still allowing merchants to regulate their own market. Alternatively, the Taino operated under a
command economic system. The Taino showcased this in the Cacique organizing labor and the allocation of
resources. Interestingly, no economic system explicitly aligns with the Kalinago lifestyle. However, the closest
match would be the traditional economic system. This can be considered as the Kalinago infamously relied on
raids on Taino settlements and slavery to support themselves. Although subtle, the economic systems of the main
indigenous groups truly differentiate them.
 CONCLUSION (114)

In conclusion, the main indigenous groups have displayed their individual and mutual advancement
through demonstrating eccentric, yet parallel economic organizations without the aid of European influence.
Whether it's the use of cacao beans in Mayan society as a currency and the lack thereof in Taino and Kalinago
societies, the role of the Halach Uinic, Cacique and Ouboutu in their respective economies, the advanced Mayan
trading routes opposed to the simple bartering methods within Taino and Kalinago settlements, the lower class of
all societies serving the upper class or the various economic systems observed in the individual civilizations, the
main indigenous groups will continue to me archaeologists all round the world for generations to come.