"pre-Columbian" is a word used to describe anything the
culture and
society of the people living in
Mesoamerica (and occasionally all of
North and
South America) before the arrival of
Christopher Columbus, and the other
Europeans who followed, who introduced new
animals, new
religions, and all sorts of other changes to the way of life of the
Native Americans/
Indians. The Merriam-Webster
Dictionary at www.m-w.com says the use of "pre-Columbian" dates from
1888.