A table showing the Comparative Analysis of two indigenous Meso

American groups

Society

Politics

Tainos
Settlement
villages were
established
near rivers and
the coast.
The houses
were built of
thatch
The cacique
lived in a bohio
whilst the
other natives
lived in a
caneye

The cacique
was the leader
of the village
settlement or
the large area.
The cacique
was the law
maker as while
as the high
priest. The
Tainos
depended in
the Cacique to
make all
decisions on
life for them.
The title of
cacique was
hereditary and

Mayas
Settlements
known as city
states had
large
populations.
The Mayas
lived in round
huts. They had
spectacular
ceremonial
buildings and
grounds
The Mayan
society was
divided into
ruling class,
working class
and merchant
class. The
merchant class
or ppolms
played an
important role
in trade and
spying.
Each city state
was governed
by a Halach
Uinich. This
position was
hereditary. The
villages were
supervised by
minor chiefs
known as
batabs. The
Mayas who
were military
strategists
appointed
Nacoms to act
as Colonels in
Chiefs of each
military unit.

Religion

Trade,
Agriculture
and Food

cases excited
where women
held the
position. Some
famous
caciques
across the
Caribbean
included
Guancaganari
of Ayti
(Hispaniola)
and Hatuey in
Cuba.
The Tainos
worhsipped
zemis
They were
polytheistic as
the Tainos had
zemis for every
aspect of life.
The cacique
was the
religious leader
of the village
and the
cacique was
the direct link
to the Zemis
They used
tobacco as a
part of
religious
ceremonies.
The Tainos
believed
Coyaba was
heaven

Slash and
Burn
Method
was used
i.e.

These Nacoms
were elected
every three
years.

The Mayas
worshipped
166 gods
The Mayan
Gods
represented
spirits of both
good and evil.
The Halach
Uinich was the
supreme priest
whilst the ah
kin was the
priests who
were main
figures in
Mayan culture.
The Mayas
built large
stone pyramids
with temples at
the apex. They
wrote
hieroglyphs to
record
historical
events and
used the
temples for
astrological
research.
The Mayas
grew enough
to store for the
future and also
to trade. The

Technology

Ball Games

Subsistenc
e Farming
The Tainos
grew corn,
cassava,
cotton and
tobacco among
other crops.
The Tainos
hunted turtles,
iguana, fish
and agouti/
coney
Tainos used
cotton trees to
make canoes
for fishing and
for transport
across the
river or on long
voyages across
the Caribbean
Sea. They
made pottery
and wove
baskets and
clothing
materials. The
Tainos also
used
petrogylphs to
record specific
events on the
walls of caves.

Batos was the

name of the
ball game
played by the
Tainos for
recreation. It
was a hand
ball game

trade was
conducted by
the ppolms
who also spied
on the other
tribes. The
Mayans used
cocoa beans
and bartering
as trading
implements/
currency.
The Mayas
developed a
calendar that
had 365
days to make
up a year and
they had a
complex
system of
Mathematics
that used base
20 to count.
They used
steales to mark
significant
events in a
decade.
Pyramids were
built for
worship and
astrological
research. They
recorded
events using a
series of
picture writing
known as
hieroglyphics.
The Mayan ball
game was
called pok a
tok. The
players had to
butt the ball
through hoops
set 10 metres
from the

ground. The
looser would
executed after
the match.