A group of captives could be moved with the army.

This transformed the meaning of an encounter.

A diplomatic meeting could become coercion.

A request for food could become a demand.

A promise of safety could depend on obedience.

The chains found at the archaeological site therefore deserve to be understood as part of a broader colonial system.

They are not merely “old Spanish artifacts.”

They are physical evidence of the unequal power relationships that accompanied the expedition.