Taino Caribbean Society

Name: Taino Caribbean Society
Start: 1371
End: 1380

Type Event Region Caribbean Time 1371–1380

In the 1370s, Taino (Arawak-speaking) society spread across the Greater Antilles as loose confederacies of cacicazgos led by caciques (chiefs).

Timeline

1371–1376Hispaniola · Greater AntillesUnder Taino caciques ruled multiple villages, where farmers grew cassava, maize, and sweet potatoes in conucos (raised fields); tribute supported chiefly families and priestly classes; in the 1370s Hispaniola was one of the most densely populated Taino regions.
1376–1380Greater Antilles · Greater AntillesTaino exchanged pottery, stone axes, and marine products between islands by canoe, held ball games and Semí veneration in bohíos (meeting houses), forming a shared language and cultural identity across the islands; the 1370s were a flourishing period before European contact.

The Tainos: Rise and Decline of the People Who Greeted Columbus — Irving Rouse (1992)
Columbus and the Golden World of the Island Arawaks — D. J. R. Walker (1992)