Pre-Columbian Peoples of Uruguay

Before European arrival, Uruguay was home to:

• Charrúa – Nomadic hunter-gatherers, fierce resistance; largely exterminated 1831 (Salsipuedes).
• Guaraní – Agricultural, Jesuit mission influence; some communities persist in Paraguay/Brazil.
• Minúan – Related to Charrúa, inhabited western Uruguay.

Archaeological evidence shows 10,000+ years of human presence. No large urban civilizations; societies were band/tribe level.