Metallic encounters in Cuba: The technology, exchange and meaning of metals before and after Columbus

► The first comprehensive analytical programme on metal artifacts recovered in a range of Taíno sites in Cuba. ► We combine archaeometallurgical data with anthropological interpretations. ► We address the material and cultural exchange between communities in Cuba, the broader Caribbean and Europeans. ► We reveal indigenous metallurgical traditions and value systems specific to the Taíno communities. ► We propose questions and future directions for Caribbean archaeology and archaeometallurgy.