he permanent collections of the San Antonio Museum of Art emphasize three cultural areas of pre-Columbian America: Mesoamerica, Central America, and the Andes. Long before the arrival of Europeans, advanced civilizations developed and flourished in the Americas. The legacy of these civilizations permeates life in the Americas today. Food is a good example. Potatoes, corn, and chocolate were among many crops first cultivated in the southern regions of the Americas. Architecture, the arts, medicine, and ecology also reveal the important influence of indigenous discoveries and technologies. The art and artifacts in the pre-Columbian collections of the museum provide an exciting glimpse into the first foundations of culture and history in the Americas.