<P> While the phrase `` pre-Columbian era '' literally refers only to the time preceding Christopher Columbus 's voyages of 1492 , in practice the phrase is usually used to denote the entire history of indigenous Americas cultures until those cultures were exterminated , diminished , or extensively altered by Europeans , even if this happened decades or centuries after Columbus 's first landing . For this reason the alternative terms of Precontact Americas , Pre-Colonial Americas or Prehistoric Americas are also in use . In areas of Latin America the term usually used is Pre-Hispanic . </P>
<P> While the phrase `` pre-Columbian era '' literally refers only to the time preceding Christopher Columbus 's voyages of 1492 , in practice the phrase is usually used to denote the entire history of indigenous Americas cultures until those cultures were exterminated , diminished , or extensively altered by Europeans , even if this happened decades or centuries after Columbus 's first landing . For this reason the alternative terms of Precontact Americas , Pre-Colonial Americas or Prehistoric Americas are also in use . In areas of Latin America the term usually used is Pre-Hispanic . </P>
early cultures were present in the americas before the arrival of
early cultures were present in the americas before the arrival of
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus