The development of prehistoric cultures worldwide offered in the following sections: A) North America; B) Mesoamerica; C) South America; D) Near East; E) Europe; F) Asia. North America: from earliest settlement to European contact, includes Eastern Woodlands, The Plains, and the Southwest. Mesoamerica: from earliest cultures through Spanish conquest, includes the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec civilizations. South America: Cultural development from earliest migrations to the Inca Empire. Near East: from earliest agricultural villages to the world's first civilizations.