Discuss the Similarities and Differences Among the Following Groups’ Social and Political Structure: Mayan, Kalinagoes and Tainos.

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The Mayans, Kalinagoes and Tainos are Amerindians who are believed to have been food gatherers who travelled in search of food from Siberia across the Bering Strait to North America, Central America to South America and from there guided by the Orinocco River to the Caribbean. The Mayans settled in Belize, Kalingoes in the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico and the Tainos in the Greater Antilles and Bahamas. The Mayans’ social structure had few similarities to that of the Tainos and Kalingoes after establishing themselves as a technologically advanced society. They unlike the Kalingaoes practised surplus farming and their social organization was rigidly divided. There were the ruling class, the working class and the merchant class. Their main crop was corn. Trading in the highlands was carried out by the Pploms while on the lowlands, the Chontals. The Mayans traded in food, minerals, and textiles among other things. They did not use money instead they utilized the bartering system. Mayans worshipped 166 gods among which Yum Kaxx The god of corn was an important god. The god above all gods in the Mayan religion was Kunab Ku. The Mayans practised Human sacrifices lead by the priest an Ah Kin. They developed a 20 day calendar and were skilled in Mathematics, Architecture and Hieroglyphics. The Mayans had a ball game known as Pok-a-Tok and they often had religious ceremonies to engage in their human sacrifices. The Mayan’s political structure was also key in highlighting their advancement. They lived in city states. Each city state was ruled by a Halach Uinich. He was called the ‘real man’ or ‘headman’. Reporting to the real man were lesser nobles known as Batabs. The War chiefs were known as Nacoms and their duty was to protect the city states from enemy attacks. Below the Nacoms were the merchants: the Pploms and Chontals who took care of the

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