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pre-Columbian Definition

pre·-Columbian (prē′kə lum′bē ən)

adjective

of any period in the history of the Western Hemisphere before Columbus arrived in America

pre-Columbian Synonyms

pre-Columbian

modif.

before the discovery of America, old-world, pre-American, Mayan, Aztecan, Indian, Eskimo; see also ancient 2.

pre-Columbian Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • civilization: Until I began work on this book I had not appreciated just how interesting were the pre-Columbian civilizations of Central America.
  • artifact: There is prolific wildlife, pre-Columbian artifacts and opportunities to hike and go horse riding.
  • culture: Archeological sites in the area show evidence of four pre-Columbian Indian cultures.
  • art: The Southwestern vessels capture the aura of pre-Columbian art indigenous to the Americas.
  • contact: Elaborations of this theory have involved beings from outer space and pre-Columbian contact with America.
  • time: There are currently 600,000 hectares of abandoned terraces dating from pre-Columbian times in the Peruvian Andes alone.