Pre-Columbian era

Pre-Columbian, präkolumbinisch or präkolumbianisch (often vorkolumbisch ) refers to the prehistoric and historic history of America before the discovery in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. The term is also used to describe events that are indeed happen after the discovery by Columbus, but still no European influences. It covers the time from the first settlement of America in the Upper Paleolithic to European colonization of the Americas in the early modern period.

Pre-Columbian is used especially often in the context of the early civilizations of the Americas, such as the Aztecs, Toltecs, Maya and Olmec in Mesoamerica and the Inca and Moche in the Andes.

Many of the pre-Columbian civilizations were sedentary, developed agriculture, built monumental and had complex social hierarchies. Many of these civilizations were already set at the time of European discovery of America and are known only through archaeological investigations. Others are known by historical documents from the period of the late 15th century to the early 16th century. Only a few, such as the Maya, had their own historical records. These texts were heretical in the eyes of the Spanish conquerors and burned it. Few Aztec or Mayan documents still exist today.