As such, the story of human life in the Americas before the conquest is largely unknown. However, these cultures cover only small regions and brief glimpses into time. There are notable exceptions: the Maya, the Aztecs, and, perhaps, the Inka, though their khipus have not yet been decoded. Pre-Columbus America is often described as "prehistoric" - because historians rely on written records, and, for the most part, such records were not generated by Indians / people who lived in the Western hemisphere. All I can say is I'm glad I eventually looked past the naff cover. It's also a book that tends to have unimpressive covers, both in the US and the UK editions. In particular, what the people, cultures and human ways of living were like (though animals and nature get a bit of a mention, too). 1491 is a book trying to give an overview of current thinking about what America was like before Columbus arrived.
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