Pre-Columbian art is a broad term given to the art of Mesoamerica (which includes Mexico and Central America) and South America before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492. It includes the art of large cultures such as the Maya, Aztecs, and Inca.
The following dates provide a general outline of major Pre-Columbian cultures:
| Culture |
Dates |
Location |
| Olmec* |
c. 1200–400 B.C.E. |
South, Central Mexico |
| Nazca* |
c. 200 b.c.e. – 600 C.E. |
Pre-Inca Peru |
| Moche |
c. 200 – 600 C.E. |
Pre-Inca Peru |
| Teotihuacan |
c. 1 c.e. – 750 C.E. |
Mexico |
| Mayan |
c. 250–1521 C.E. |
Mexico and Central America |
| Aztec |
c. 1000–1521 C.E. |
Mexico and Guatemala |
| Inca* |
c. 1400–1530 C.E. |
Peru, Ecuador, and parts of Chile |
