pre-Columbian art and architecture

pre-Columbian art and architecture, works of art and structures created in Central and South America before the arrival of Europeans in the Western Hemisphere. For many years the regions that are now Mexico and Guatemala and the Andean region of South America had been the cradle of indigenous civilizations whose remains bear witness to an exceptional degree of artistic advancement.

For Native American art in North America, see North American Native art.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• The Inca
• Ancient Peru
• The Cultures of South America
• Other Mexican Cultures
• The Aztec
• The Toltec
• Teotihuacán
• The Olmec
• The Maya
• The Cultures of Central America
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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