Dialogues in Cuban Archaeology

El Chorro de Maíta / 131
El Chorro de Maíta is situated on the eastern hillside of the Yaguajay Hill,
at 160 m above sea level and 4 km from the coast. The wind patterns and
elevation in this location create a comfortable climate with a permanent
stream, fertile soils, and easy access to the interior forests and the coast. According
to Rouse (1942:103), in 1927 the area was already frequented by collectors
and known for its abundance of beads and stone objects. He visited
the locality in 1941 and prepared a description of the site (Rouse 1942:103–
106) that he considered to be one of the most important in Yaguajay or Banes.
At that time, the site was known simply as “Yaguajay.”
In 1979, a research team of the Sección de Arqueología de la Academia de
Ciencias de Cuba en Holguín evaluated the archaeological potential of the
site and carried out a topographical study. From that point on, the site began
to be known in the scienti¤c literature by its current denomination, “El
Chorro de Maíta.” Between 1986 and 1987, the Departamento Centro Oriental
de Arqueología de Holguín, under the direction of archaeologist J. M.
Guarch Delmonte, excavated the site and located 110 human remains buried
in a space surrounded by domestic middens. Considering the abundance of
burials, their high density, and that the area was not used for other domestic
activities, this location was interpreted as a cemetery associated with the habitation
site. The burial area covered 2,000 m 2 , and it was related to an area of
deposits that spanned 22,000 m 2 (Guarch Delmonte 1994:7, 1996:6).
El Chorro de Maíta is one of two locations with the largest quantity of
body ornaments and ceremonial artifacts in the whole Banes Archaeological
Area and which has the largest amount in Yaguajay (Valcárcel 1999:88). According
to Guarch Delmonte (1996:17), the site has produced the largest
quantity of quartzite beads in Cuba—not an incidental detail because such
beads were highly valued by the indigenous populations (Alegría 1980:26;
Guarch Delmonte 1994:8). Many caciques sent them to the Spaniards as important
presents and tokens of their friendship (Alegría 1980:26), and they are
mentioned in religious myths as valuable symbolic objects (Arrom 1975:154).
Many of the beads at the site appear in early stages of production, indicating
that they were being manufactured at the site. The notable presence of these
beads, other types of body ornaments, and ceremonial objects with complex
designs and of diverse materials suggests processes of craft production with a
certain degree of intensity, as well as strongly developed ceremonial rituals
and the presence of an elite that consumed these products (Valcárcel 1999:93).
It also suggests an economic productivity high enough to sustain a group of
people (i.e., the elite) not associated with the productive process.