Were pre-columbian peoples aware of "America" as a three parts continent?

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The answer is Yes.

One example would be the Chimu civilization (circa 900 CE–1470 CE), a civilization predating the height of the Inca Empire and centered further north had extensive, durable contacts north and south of the American continent.

Cheap and fast canoe and reed-raft travel made possible for long-distance commerce routes for precious metals and other goods. Theses archeological sources are easy to check for historians because a metal objects' composition is very easy to track to certain mining locations. The same applies to jadeite and other flint or precious stones.

Also, we have historical sources. Pizarro found many ships traveling southwards when trying to reach Peru. Contact routes were established, well known and quite common from the Inca Empire up to the Panama area. Even, during Pizarro's travel to Peru in 1526, his travel bags returned in a Tumbesine raft, which happened to be faster than the Spanish ships (the rafts were much lighter and the 'Indians' knew the currents better than the Spanish).

The Indians thus provided four large rafts and their crew. Hernando de Soto took command of one of them, the one that carried his own luggage, CristΓ³bal de Mena did the same with the one that carried Hernando Pizarro's things see more

Chimu commerce

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