presettlement
/priˈsɛtəlmənt/
adjective
- Existing or occurring before an area was permanently inhabited by colonists or settlers.
- Presettlement Native American cultures had complex societies long before European arrival.
- Scientists study presettlement forests to understand how the land looked naturally.
- The museum displays artifacts from the presettlement era of the region.
Synonyms
noun
- The period of time before an area was permanently inhabited by colonists or settlers.
- The book describes the landscape of the area during presettlement.
- Historians compare the region's population in presettlement to modern times.
- In presettlement, the valley was covered by dense forests.