c.

c. AD 800 – 1500: Paleopathological studies of indigenous remains in Cuba have revealed significant data regarding the health and daily stresses of pre-Columbian life. Research by E. Vento Canosa and D. González has identified evidence of chronic conditions, nutritional deficiencies, and physical trauma associated with specialized labor and environmental challenges. These findings provide a biological “counter-narrative” to the idealized descriptions of indigenous life found in some early Spanish chronicles. By analyzing the physical remains of the “First Islanders,” scholars can reconstruct the actual lived experience, including the impact of infectious diseases and the physical toll of maritime and agricultural activities.