prehispanic

The prehispanic era incorporates all the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appeareance of the europeans. It ocurred before the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492 and 1504. This term includes the history of American indegenous culture. Many prehispanic civilization established characteristics and hallmarks which included permanent settlements, agricultures, civic and monumental architecture and complex societal hierarchies. Some of these civilizations had long faded by the time of the first permanent european arrivals. These civilizations are only known through archaelogical investigations.