c. AD 1300 – 1540: The site of El Chorro de Maíta is one of the most significant Late Ceramic Age settlements in Cuba, featuring a large central plaza surrounded by residential…

c. AD 1300 – 1540: The site of El Chorro de Maíta is one of the most significant Late Ceramic Age settlements in Cuba, featuring a large central plaza surrounded by residential mounds. Excavations revealed a complex social hierarchy, evidenced by the presence of elite burials containing prestige goods such as guanín (a gold-copper alloy) and objects made of brass and tin of European origin. The site remained occupied well into the colonial period, serving as an encomienda where indigenous populations were concentrated under Spanish rule. The survival of traditional burial practices alongside European trade goods at this site provides a critical look at the early stages of transculturation in Cuba.