List of pre-Columbian cultures

List of pre-Columbian cultures
Pyramid of the Sun and Avenue of The Dead, viewed from the top of Pyramid of the Moon, Teotihuacán, Mexico, 100-200 CE

This list of pre-Columbian cultures includes those civilizations and cultures of the Americas which flourished prior to the European colonization of the Americas.

Contents

Cultural characteristics

Many pre-Columbian civilizations established characteristics such as permanent or urban settlements, agriculture, and complex societal hierarchies.

Watson Brake, Louisiana 3500 BCE

In North America, indigenous cultures in the Lower Mississippi Valley during the Middle Archaic period built complexes of multiple mounds, with several in Louisiana dated to 5600-5000 BP (3700 BCE-3100 BCE). Watson Brake is considered the oldest, multiple mound complex in the Americas, as it has been dated to 3500 BCE. It and other Middle Archaic sites were built by pre-ceramic, hunter-gatherer societies. They preceded the better known Poverty Point culture and its elaborate complex by nearly 2,000 years.[1] The Mississippi Valley mound-building tradition extended into the Late Archaic period, longer than later southeastern mound building dependent on sedentary, agricultural societies.(Russo, 1996:285)[1]

Some of these civilizations had long ceased to function by the time of the first permanent European arrivals (ca. late 15th – early 16th centuries), and are known only through archaeological investigations or oral history from tribes today. Others were contemporary with this period, and are also known from historical accounts of the time. A few, such as the Olmec, Maya, Mixtec, and Nahua had their own written records. However, most Europeans of the time viewed such texts as heretical and burned most of them. Only a few hidden documents remain today, leaving modern historians with glimpses of ancient culture and knowledge.

From both indigenous American and European accounts and documents, American civilizations at the time of European encounter possessed many impressive attributes, having the most populous city in the world, and having developed modern theories of astronomy and mathematics.

Where they persist, the societies and cultures which gave rise to these civilizations continue to adapt and evolve; they also uphold various traditions and practices which relate back to these earlier times, even if combined with those more recently adopted.

Northern America

Mesoamerica

  • Aztec, 1325–1521 CE, central Mexico
  • Huastec, 1000 BCE–1500 CE, Hidalgo, Veracruz, San Luis Potosí and Tamaulipas
  • Mixtec, unknown–1600 CE, western Oaxaca
  • Maya, 500 BCE–900 CE, Southern Mexican states of Chiapas and Tabasco, Mexican Yucatán Peninsula states of Quintana Roo, Campeche, and Yucatán; Guatemala; Belize; El Salvador; western Honduras
  • Olmec, 1200–400 BCE, Veracruz and Tabasco
  • P'urhépecha or Tarascan state, 1300–1530 CE, Michoacán
  • Teotihuacán, 200 BCE–800 CE, near Mexico City
  • Toltec, 900–1100 CE
  • Totonac, unknown–1500 CE, eastern Mexico
  • Western Mexico shaft tomb tradition, 300 BCE–400 CE, Jalisco, Nayarit, and, to a lesser extent, Colima
  • Zapotec, 500 BCE–1500 CE, Oaxaca

Caribbean

Early South American cultures
  • Ortoiroid people, ca. 5500—200 BCE[2]
    • Krum Bay culture, Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, 1500—200 BCE[2]
    • Coroso culture, Puerto Rico, 1000 BCE–200 CE[2]
  • Ciboney people, Greater Antilles, ca. 1000—301 BCE[3]
    • Guanahatabey, Cuba, 1000 BCE
  • Saladoid culture, 500 BCE—545 CE[2]
  • Ostionoid culture, 600—1500 CE[2]

South America

Period Dates Cultures
Ceramic
Late Horizon 1476 CE – 1534 CE Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Colombia: Inca Empire; Brazil: Cambeba
Late Intermediate 1000 CE – 1476 CE Bolivia: Aymara nations; Colombia: Muisca, Nariño, Tairona; Ecuador: Los Huancavilca, Kingdom of Quito, Manteño, Nariño;
Peru: Chimú, Chincha, Cajamarca, Piura, Chancay, Chachapoyas, Chincha, Chiribaya, Chucuito, Huaman Huilca, Ilo, Qotu Qotu, Pacacocha, Palli Marca, Piura, Sican, Tajaraca, Huaylas, Conchucos, Huamachuco, Rucanas, Chanka, Ayabaca, Bracamoros, Huancabambas, Tallan culture, Huarco, Ichma, Parinacota, Cuntis, Chinchaycochas, Huarochiri, Kheswas, Tarmas, Paltas, Camanas
Middle Horizon 600 CE – 1000 CE Bolivia: Tiwanaku; Brazil: Marajoara culture; Colombia: Nariño, Quimbaya, Tairona; Ecuador: Cañari culture, Nariño; Peru: Huari, Piura
Early Intermediate 200 CE–600 CE Bolivia: Tiwanaku; Colombia: Quimbaya, San Agustín, Tairona, Tierradentro, Tolima; Ecuador: La Bahía, Cara, Quitu; Peru: Moche, Nazca, Lima, Pechiche, Piura
Early Horizon 900 BCE–200 CE Colombia: Calima culture (200 BCE–400 CE), Chibcha; Ecuador: Chorrera, La Tolita; Peru: Chavín, Cupisnique, Late Chiripa, Paracas, Pechiche, Sechura
Initial Period 1800/1500 BCE – 900 BCE Ecuador: Cotocollao; Machalilla; Peru: Early Chiripa, Kotosh, Toríl (The Cumbe Mayo aqueduct was built ca. 1000 BCE)
Preceramic
Period VI 2500 BCE – 1500/1800 BCE Ecuador: Valdivia; Peru: Norte Chico (Caral), Buena Vista, Casavilca, Culebras, Ventarrón, Viscachani, Huaca Prieta
Period V 4200 BCE – 2500 BCE Ecuador: Valdivia; Peru: Honda, Lauricocha III, Viscachani
Period IV 6000 BCE – 4200 BCE Peru: Ambo, Canario, Siches, Lauricocha II, Luz, Toquepala II
Period III 8000 BCE – 6000 BCE Ecuador: Las Vegas, 8000–4600 BCE; Peru: Arenal, Chivateros II, Lauricocha I, Playa Chira, Puyenca, Toquepala I
Period II 9500 BCE – 8000 BCE Ecuador: El Inga; Peru: Chivateros I, Lauricocha I
Period I  ? BCE – 9500 BCE Colombia: El Abra, (12,500–10,000 BCE); Peru: Oquendo, Red Zone (central coast)

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Robert W. Preucel, Stephen A. Mrozowski, Contemporary Archaeology in Theory: The New Pragmatism, John Wiley and Sons, 2010, p. 177
  2. ^ a b c d e "Prehistory of the Caribbean Culture Area." Southeast Archaeological Center. (retrieved 9 July 2011)
  3. ^ "Aboriginal Roots of Cuban Culture." (retrieved 9 July 2011)

External links


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