▁Upper ▁Pale ol ith ic ▁to ▁European ▁colon ization ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁modern ▁period . ▁▁ ▁About ▁ 4 0 , 0 0 0 ▁years ▁ago ▁the ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁split ▁from ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁world ▁following ▁the ▁Ple ist oc ene ▁meg af a una ▁and ▁then ▁they ▁fl our ish ▁might ily , ▁evol ving ▁in ▁the ▁Amer icas , ▁from ▁the ▁Lith ic ▁stage ▁to ▁the ▁Post - Class ic ▁stage , ▁which ▁was ▁brought ▁into ▁an ▁ab rupt ▁end ▁about ▁ 5 2 5 ▁years ▁ago ▁with ▁the ▁inf am ous ▁mass ▁gen o cide ▁and ▁cultural ▁ext inction ▁caused ▁by ▁Europe ans ▁intr usion ▁into ▁the ▁Amer icas , ▁bringing ▁dise ases ▁and ▁colon izing ▁the ▁Amer icas ▁with ▁war fare , ▁terror ism , ▁extrem ists ▁radical ▁Christian ity ▁and ▁mass ▁mass ac res . ▁Only ▁some ▁Native ▁American ▁ind igen ous ▁groups ▁surv ived ▁that ▁cat ast rop he , ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁in ▁Mexico , ▁Central ▁America ▁and ▁South ▁America , ▁with ▁Salvador an ▁ind igen ous ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁many ▁who ▁have ▁given ▁rise ▁to ▁all ▁modern ▁Native ▁Americans ▁still ▁alive ▁today . ▁ ▁Mes o amer ican - I st hm us ▁cult ures ▁ ▁Histor ically ▁El ▁Salvador ▁has ▁had ▁diverse ▁Native ▁American ▁cult ures , ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁north ▁and ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁continent ▁along ▁with ▁local ▁populations ▁mixed ▁together . ▁El ▁Salvador ▁belongs ▁to ▁both ▁to