Historvius (mapping history)

Pre-Columbian Sites

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If you’re looking to explore Pre-Columbian sites and want to find the best places to view Pre- Columbian history then you can explore our interactive map above or navigate further by using the links below.

There’s a great selection of Pre-Columbian historic sites and ruins and you can plan some fantastic things to see on your trips. Once you’ve explored the list of Pre-Columbian sites and selected those you wish to visit you can use our itinerary planner tool to plan your trip and then print off a free pocket guidebook. This indispensible holiday guide will help you make the most of your time exploring Pre-Columbian ruins.

Our database of historic sites is growing all the time, but we may not cover them all. Remember, if you know of other Pre-Columbian sites, remains or ruins, you can always add them to Historvius now by visiting our upload page.

Pre-Columbian sites : Site Index

  • Aguateca Aguateca
    Aguateca was an important Maya capital city in Guatemala which was dramatically destroyed.
    Photo by jnissa (cc)

  • Cahuachi Cahuachi
    Cahuachi is an ancient site of the Nazca civilization in Peru.
    Photo by Václav Synáček (cc)

  • Calixtlahuaca Calixtlahuaca
    Calixtlahuaca is an Aztec archaeological site near Toluca in Mexico.
    Photo by liberalmind1012 (cc)

  • Casa de Colon Casa de Colon
    Casa de Colon is a museum of the history of the Canary Islands, particularly as relates to Christopher Columbus and the Americas. It exhibits collections ranging from pre-Columbian pieces to items that belonged to Columbus himself.
    Photo by Ted and Jen (cc)

  • Ceibal Ceibal
    Ceibal is an ancient Maya settlement site in northern Guatemala.
    Photo by Chixoy (cc)

  • Cerro Patapo Cerro Patapo
    Cerro Patapo was the site of a city of the Wari civilisation only discovered in 2008.

  • Chacchoben Chacchoben
    Chacchoben is a Maya site in Mexico housing some impressive pyramid temples.
    Photo by roger4336 (cc)

  • Chauchilla Cemetery Chauchilla Cemetery
    Chauchilla Cemetery is a fascinating ancient burial ground with Peru’s largest display of mummified bodies in their original graves.
    Photo by sancho_panza (cc)

  • Chichen Itza Chichen Itza
    Chichen Itza is a site made up of two impressive and well preserved cities, built by the Mayas and then captured by the Toltecs.

  • Ciudad Perdida Ciudad Perdida
    Ciudad Perdida is a remote ancient city in Colombia which dates to the 8th century AD and now operates as archaeological park.
    Photo by tyo. (cc)

  • Cobá Cobá
    Cobá is an important and vast archaeological Maya site in Mexico’s Quintana Roo region.
    Photo by joyosity (cc)

  • Copan Copan
    Copan in Honduras was an important Maya city, the impressive ruins of which are UNESCO listed.
    Photo by Adalberto.H.Vega (cc)

  • Dos Pilas Dos Pilas
    Dos Pilas was a major Maya city which succumbed to the ravages of warfare.
    Photo by vaticanus (cc)

  • Dzibilchaltun Dzibilchaltun
    Dzibilchaltun in Mexico is an archaeological site housing the ruins of a Maya settlement.
    Photo by GOC53 (cc)

  • Ek Balam Ek Balam
    Ek Balam is a Maya site on the Yucatan Peninsula with some impressive ruins.
    Photo by archer10 (Dennis) (cc)

  • El Brujo El Brujo
    El Brujo is an early Chimu archaeological site in Peru.
    Photo by Veronique Debord (cc)

  • El Tajin El Tajin
    El Tajin in Mexico was a city of the Totonac people and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Photo by Ixtla (cc)

  • Guatemala National Archaeology and Etymology Museum Guatemala National Archaeology and Etymology Museum
    The Guatemala National Archaeology and Etymology Museum has a comprehensive Maya exhibit.

  • Inca Trail Inca Trail
    The Inca Trail is a famous hiking route which winds through Inca sites in Peru including Machu Picchu.
    Photo by geoced (cc)

  • Kabah Kabah
    The ruins of Kabah are those of a Maya settlement in Yucatan, Mexico.
    Photo by robertoliebig (cc)

  • Kuelap Kuelap
    Kuelap is an imposing 9th century fortress, once the stronghold of the Chachapoyas people.
    Photo by morrissey (cc)

  • Labna Labna
    Labna is a Maya site in Yucatan State in Mexico.
    Photo by Olivier Bruchez (cc)

  • Machu Picchu Machu Picchu
    Machu Picchu is one of the world’s best preserved Inca sites, located in Peru and protected by UNESCO.
    Photo by szeke (cc)

  • Mexico National Museum of Anthropology Mexico National Museum of Anthropology
    The Mexico National Museum of Anthropology is one of the world’s best renowned museums of pre-Hispanic history.
    Photo by gripso_banana_prune (cc)

  • Mitla Mitla
    Mitla was a Zapotec religious centre later taken over by the Mixtecs in Oaxaca, Mexico.
    Photo by eduardo.robles (cc)

  • Monte Alban Monte Alban
    Monte Alban is a remarkable UNESCO listed pre-Columbian site in Mexico.
    Photo by RussBowling (cc)

  • Museo Popol Vuh Museo Popol Vuh
    Museo Popol Vuh in Guateala City has an extensive collection of ancient, particularly Maya, pieces.

  • Museo Regional de Arqueología Maya Museo Regional de Arqueología Maya
    Museo Regional de Arqueología Maya is an archaeological museum related to the ancient Maya settlement of Copan.

  • Museo Regional de Oaxaca Museo Regional de Oaxaca
    Museo Regional de Oaxaca houses many of the pre-Columbian finds from nearby Monte Alban.

  • Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón
    Museum Manuel Chavez Ballón is the museum of the famous Machu Picchu site.

  • Nazca Lines Nazca Lines
    The Nazca Lines are ancient earth drawings in Peru and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

  • Palenque Palenque
    Palenque in Mexico is a UNESCO listed Maya archaeological site of a city which thrived between 500 and 700 AD.

  • Piramide de Cuicuilco Piramide de Cuicuilco
    Cuicuilco is a Mesoamerican archeological site in Mexico City, believed to have been a large, ceremonial city that existed prior to the foundation of Teotihuacan.

  • Quirigua Archaeological Park Quirigua Archaeological Park
    Quirigua Archaeological Park is a former Maya settlement and is now a small, yet important UNESCO listed site in Guatemala.

  • Sayil Sayil
    Sayil in Mexico houses the ruins of a small Maya settlement built in the Puuc style.

  • Templo Mayor Templo Mayor
    Templo Mayor was a holy temple in the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, now modern day Mexico City.

  • Tenochtitlan Tenochtitlan
    Tenochtitlan was the Aztec capital, established in 1325AD and destroyed by the Spanish in the 16th century.

  • Teotihuacan Teotihuacan
    Teotihuacan is a well preserved ancient Mesoamerican city near Mexico City.
    Photo by Darij & Ana (cc)

  • The Moche Temples The Moche Temples
    The Moche Temples are two ancient adobe pyramid temples in Peru.

  • Tikal Tikal
    Tikal in Guatemala was a major Maya site of great ceremonial importance. Its well-preserved ruins are listed by UNESCO.

  • Tulum Tulum
    Tulum is a cliff-top Maya site in Mexico’s Quintana Roo region with some interesting and quite well preserved ruins.

  • Winaywayna Winaywayna
    Winaywayna is an Inca site in Peru near Machu Picchu.
    Photo by fortes (cc)

  • Xcaret Xcaret
    Xcaret houses the ruins of a Maya city which reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries.
    Photo by Herr_Bert (cc)

  • Xlapak Xlapak
    Xlapak is a small archaeological site in Mexico’s Yucatan region.
    Photo by archer10 (Dennis) (cc)

  • Xochicalco Xochicalco
    Xochicalco is an important pre-Columbian site in Mexico and a World Heritage site.
    Photo by Christian González Verón (cc)

  • Yagul Yagul
    Yagul was a fortified Zapotec settlement in Oaxaca in Mexico.
    Photo by maximalideal (cc)

  • Yalape Yalape
    Built around 1100 AD, Yalape contain the ruins of an ancient Chachapoyan city. Though largely overgrown, it contains the remains of a huge urban settlement.
    Photo by clandestino_20 (cc)

  • Yaxha Yaxha
    Yaxha is an impressive ancient Maya site in Guatemala’s Peten region.
    Photo by Walter Rodriguez (cc)

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