c.

c. AD 1300 – 1500: The Pueblo Viejo site in eastern Cuba represents a specialized type of settlement known as a mesa-top enclosure. Located 250 meters above sea level, the site is naturally protected by steep cliffs and further fortified by an earthen and stone embankment. This 3-meter-high wall encloses an area of roughly 3.4 hectares, containing at least 40 earthen mounds that served as foundations for houses. Archaeologists suggest that such high-altitude, enclosed sites may have served as defensive retreats or elite ceremonial centers during a period of increased social tension or political consolidation in the Late Ceramic Age.