pre-Columbian

(noun)

Refers to the inhabitants, societies, and culture of the Americas prior to European contact, colonization, and influence; literally "pre-(Christopher)Columbus."

Related Terms

  • Eurasia
  • Mesoamerica
  • Paleo-Indians
  • indigenous peoples
  • New World
  • aquaculture
  • pottery

Examples of pre-Columbian in the following topics:

  • Enduring Cultures

    • The phrase "pre-Columbian era" literally refers only to the time preceding Christopher Columbus's voyages of 1492 [].
    • Many pre-Columbian civilizations established hallmarks which included permanent settlements, cities, agriculture, civic and monumental architecture, major earthworks, and complex societal hierarchies.
    • Indigenous peoples of the Americas continue to evolve after the pre-Columbian era.
    • Direct archaeological evidence for such pre-Columbian contacts and transport has been lacking, however.
    • A 2007 paper published in PNAS put forward DNA and archaeological evidence that domesticated chickens had been introduced into South America via Polynesia by late pre-Columbian times.
  • The Mixteca-Puebla Tradition

    • The Mixteca-Puelba tradition of artistry originates from the pre-Columbian Mixtec peoples from the region of Puebla, Mesoamerica.
    • In pre-Columbian times, the region was inhabited by people of many ethnicities, including the Mixteca.
    • The temples of a Pre-Columbian Maya walled city are situated on 12-meter tall cliffs in Tulum in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico; a mural can still be seen on the eastern wall that resembles the Mixteca-Puebla style of art.
  • The Caral Civilization

    • The Caral civilization (also known as the Norte Chico civilization and as Caral-Supe) was a complex pre-Columbian society in what is now the Norte Chico region of north-central coastal Peru, near Supe, Barranca province, Peru (200 km north of Lima).
    • In archaeological nomenclature, Norte Chico civilizations are pre-ceramic cultures of the pre-Columbian Late Archaic; they completely lacked ceramics and apparently had almost no art.
    • Archaeological evidence suggests use of textile technology and, possibly, the worship of common god symbols, both of which recur in pre-Columbian Andean cultures.
  • Innovation and Limitation

    • The pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America brought innovation in agriculture, mathematics, architecture, and other subjects.
    • The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America and their descendants.
    • This created the Pre-Columbian savannas of North America.
    • Evaluate the diverse cultures and inventions of pre-Columbus civilizations in the Americas.
  • Machu Picchu

    • Often referred to as the "City of the Incas," Machu Picchu is one of the most significant pre-Columbian Inca sites in Peru.
    • Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located in the Cuzco Region of Peru, South America .
  • The Inca People

    • The Inca Empire was the largest of the pre-Columbian mesoamerican empires.
    • The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.
  • The Aztec People

    • The Aztecs were a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people of central Mexico during the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.
    • The Aztecs were a Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican people of central Mexico in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.
  • Disease in the New World

    • The transfer of disease between the Old World and New World was part of the phenomenon known as the Columbian Exchange.
    • Estimates of the pre-Columbian population have ranged from 8.4 million to 112.5 million persons, while estimates of indigenous deaths generally range from 2 to 15 million.
    • Before the arrival of Columbus in Hispaniola, the indigenous Taíno pre-contact population of several hundred thousand declined to 60,000 by 1509.
    • In Peru, the indigenous pre-contact population of approximately 6.5 million declined to 1 million by the early 17th century.
  • The Spanish Conquest and Its Effects on Incan Art

    • It is estimated that parts of the empire, notably the Central Andes, suffered a population decline amounting to a staggering 93% of the pre-Columbian population by 1591.
    • Pizarro, the Spanish explorer and conquistador who was responsible for destroying much of the city of Cusco in 1535, built a new European-style city over pre-colonial foundations.
    • Most of the paintings were completed anonymously, a result of Pre-Columbian traditions that viewed art as a communal undertaking.
  • Cultures of Mesoamerica

    • Mesoamerica was dominated by 3 cultures in the Pre-Classical (up to 200CE) to Post-Classical periods (circa 1580 CE): the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec.
    • There are three cultures that dominated the pre-columbian history of Mesoamerica: the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations.
    • The Olmec civilization, which flourished from 1200–400 BCE, defines the Pre-Classical period; the Olmecs are generally considered the forerunner of all later Mesoamerica cultures including the Maya and Aztecs.
Subjects
  • Accounting
  • Algebra
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • Calculus
  • Chemistry
  • Communications
  • Economics
  • Finance
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Microbiology
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Political Science
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Statistics
  • U.S. History
  • World History
  • Writing

Except where noted, content and user contributions on this site are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 with attribution required.