1491

This profound work is both an apologetic, a corrective, and also a revelation — offering a more accurate, respectful, and awe-inspiring account of the Americas before Columbus.

1491 confronts long-held conjectures about the pre-Columbian Americas by presenting new archaeological, anthropological, and scientific research that reveals a vastly more complex and populated world than previously believed.

Mann dismantles the myth of the Maya and Inka civilizations being one-dimensional, mythological cultures that were intellectually awakened upon the arrival of European colonists.

With vivid storytelling and rich detail, 1491 reframes the narrative of the Americas, emphasizing the ingenuity, resilience, and achievements of its original inhabitants and providing a unique universal lens for understanding the agency and the contributions of indigenous populations around the globe.