pre-Colombian America

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, pre-Colombian America has been mentioned in one podcast episode on Stuff You Should Know (Feb 2026). Used to situate the instrument type (air-spring whistles) as specific to the Americas before European contact.

In the history of the Americas, the pre-Columbian era, also known as the pre-contact era, pre-Hispanic or as the pre-Cabraline era specifically in Brazil, spans from the initial peopling of the Americas in the Upper Paleolithic to the onset of European colonization, which began with Christopher Columbus's voyage in 1492. This era encompasses the history of Indigenous cultures prior to significant European influence, which in some cases did not occur until decades or even centuries after Columbus