El Chorro de Maita

21°5′4.5024″N 75°48′56.6028″W / 21.084584000°N 75.815723000°W / 21.084584000; -75.815723000

Diagram of El Chorro de Maita Burial Site

El Chorro de Maíta is an archaeological site near Guardalavaca in Eastern Cuba[1] spanning the late prehistoric through early colonial periods, from around 1300 to around 1550 AD.[2][3][4]

Reconstructed Dwellings at El Chorro de Maita
Archeological display of original burial site
Idols and other objects from the site
Metal Taino Idol in Museum of El Chorro de Maita Cuba

The site dates from the early 16th century and consists of an excavated Indigenous settlement and cemetery, including dozens of well-preserved human remains. Recent scholarship suggests that Indigenous peoples were living here many decades after Christopher Columbus' arrival. Across from the site is a restaurant and a reconstructed Indigenous village that features life-sized models of native dwellings.

References

  1. ^ Valcárcel Rojas, Roberto (2016) Archaeology of Early Colonial Interaction at El Chorro de Maíta, Cuba. University Press of Florida.
  2. ^ Knight, Vernon James; Rojas, Roberto Valcarcel (2015-06-01). "Pottery Vessel Function and Foodways at El Chorro de Maíta, Cuba". Latin American Antiquity. 26 (2): 260–278. doi:10.7183/1045-6635.26.2.260. ISSN 1045-6635.
  3. ^ Torres, Joshua M. (2017-04-03). "Archaeology of Early Colonial Interaction at El Chorro de Maíta, Cuba". The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology. 12 (2): 302–304. doi:10.1080/15564894.2017.1281852. ISSN 1556-4894.
  4. ^ Pezzarossi, Guido (2018-06-01). "Archaeology of Early Colonial Interaction at El Chorro de Maíta, Cuba". Historical Archaeology. 52 (2): 512–514. doi:10.1007/s41636-018-0091-1. ISSN 2328-1103.