▁the ▁In ca ▁civil ization ▁domin ated ▁the ▁And es ▁region ▁from ▁ 1 4 3 8 ▁to ▁ 1 5 3 3 . ▁Kn own ▁as ▁T ahu ant ins uy u , ▁or ▁" the ▁land ▁of ▁the ▁four ▁regions ", ▁in ▁Que ch ua , ▁the ▁In ca ▁culture ▁was ▁highly ▁distinct ▁and ▁developed . ▁C ities ▁were ▁built ▁with ▁precise , ▁un match ed ▁stone work , ▁constructed ▁over ▁many ▁levels ▁of ▁mountain ▁terrain . ▁Terra ce ▁far ming ▁was ▁a ▁useful ▁form ▁of ▁agricult ure . ▁There ▁is ▁evidence ▁of ▁excellent ▁metal work ▁and ▁even ▁successful ▁tre pan ation ▁of ▁the ▁sk ull ▁in ▁In ca ▁civil ization . ▁ ▁European ▁colon ization ▁ ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 0 0 0 , ▁the ▁Vik ings ▁established ▁a ▁short - l ived ▁settlement ▁in ▁New found land , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁L ' An se ▁aux ▁M ead ows . ▁Spe cul ations ▁exist ▁about ▁other ▁Old ▁World ▁discover ies ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁World , ▁but ▁none ▁of ▁these ▁are ▁generally ▁or ▁completely ▁accepted ▁by ▁most ▁sch ol ars . ▁ ▁Spain ▁spons ored ▁a ▁major ▁expl oration ▁led ▁by ▁Italian ▁expl orer ▁Christopher ▁Columb us ▁in ▁ 1 4 9 2 ; ▁it ▁quickly ▁led ▁to ▁extensive ▁European ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁The ▁Europe ans ▁brought ▁Old ▁World ▁dise ases ▁which ▁are ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁caused ▁cat ast roph ic ▁ep ide m ics ▁and ▁a ▁huge ▁decrease ▁of ▁the ▁native ▁population . ▁Columb us