The Great Cemi (Gran Cemí)  is one of the most important archaeological pieces found to date in Cuba.

The idol (cemi means god) is in U.S.A. territory since 1915, when it was taken by the archaeologist Mark R. Harrington, who discovered it in the cave of Patana, province of Guantánamo.

It is the largest pre-Columbian petroglyphs of the island, which according to Harrington was 1.22 meters high.

It was carved in a stalagmite presumably by the Tainos, inhabitants of the east of the country at the arrival of Christopher Columbus.

The researchers believe that it could have been the representation of a god. Currently is part of the funds of the National Museum of the American Indian, although it has never been exhibited.

In November 2016, the director of public relations of that institution, Eileen Maxwell, told Hillary Gulle of Smithsonian Magazine that representatives of the museum and Cuban institutions were talking about the return of the idol to the island.

«We are anticipating receiving a formal repatriation request in due course,» said Maxwell.

But until today the spokesmen of the museum and of Cuban institutions keep silence on the subject.

Favorable antecedent

One fact that seemed to favor the return of the idol is that this issue has evaded politics and remains in a basically scientific context.

Another element in favor is that there is a history of the return of archaeological goods.

Already the Smithsonian repatriated to Cuba in 2002 fragments of bones of seven Taino aborigines also taken to the North American territory by Harrington.

The return was made in compliance with a federal law of the United States that determined the delivery of all human remains to their descendants in that country.

From this the Museum of the American Indian decided to expand its reach to all the nations of the continent.

In the case of Gran Cemí, there is a benevolent assessment of scholars like Alejandro Hartman, Historian of Baracoa, Villa Primada (first village) of Cuba.

In an interview with the author, Hartman argued that although Harrington cut off the petroglyph and brought it to the United States, He was not a predator.

Hartman explained that the thousands of pieces taken by Harrington are kept in the Museum of the American Indian.

He also recalled that Harrington took the pieces on boats from Baracoa to New York with authorization from the authorities of the time.

The American archaeologist made his expedition to Cuba on behalf of the collector George Gustav Heye, founder and director of the Museum of the American Indian.

According to Cuban historian Felipe Pérez Cruz, Harrington donated several of the pieces found at the Doctor Luis Montané Anthropological Museum of the University of Havana.

Archaeological and spiritual value

In his book The Indoamericans in Cuba. Studies open to the present Pérez Cruz explained that in a visit to the Center for Cultural Studies of Maryland he checked the state of preservation of the idol.

He said that this institution conserves 60 percent of the main front of the Cemi and two of the four cuts that were made on the obverse of the stalagmite.

Its current height is 0.75 centimeters. The difference with what Harrington reflected from his finding is that he left part of the base uncut in its original place.

On the other hand Hartman – like other experts – attributes to the idol a high archaeological value like representation of a deity adored by the indocubans.

It was the concept of spiritual respect, of those beliefs of the time and everything that it represented for them, the historian considers:

In his opinion, the return of the Gran Cemi would be important for the strengthening of the pride of the Cuban.

The cave of Patana

In the book The Enigma of the aboriginal petroglyphs of Cuba and the Insular Caribbean, Jose B. González and Racso Fernández consider  that the cave of Patana, where the Great Cemí was found, was a ceremonial center.

They attribute their creation, probably, to residents of Cuba arrived from La Española (Dominican Republic and Haiti)

Studies carried out in 1947 by the Cuban erudite Fernando Ortiz link the deity with figures of «llora-lluvia» (rain weeper ) found in ceramic remains.

Gonzalez and Fernandez say that it is a representation of the god of rain Boinayel.

According to Harrington, the figure was located in such a way that at a certain hour of the morning, at least during June and July, a ray of sunlight a ray illuminated his face.

Fernandez and González emphasize that the image was sculpted in the face of the stalagmite that gave to the East and allowed its illumination during the Summer solstice.

It is worth that it is an important date for the agricultural towns, because it marks the beginning of the rains.

The Great Cemi is really an important element of the indigenous Culture.

The indigenous imprint in Cuba is remarkable in a larger dimension than is usually recognized.

However, according to all indications, the return of the idol must continue waiting.

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