I have been reading Friar Vicente de Salvador's history of Brazil (1627) and it is a very interesting document, especially because of the way it describes their early way of life around here, and the way the settlers dealt with the indigenous people and vice versa. It gets even better because of the vivid and captivating writing style of the author.

One thought led to another, and I found myself wondering the following about the neighbors up north, with which I hope you will be of some help, since I am completely ignorant on the subject:

What are the best sources (primary or not) we have for studying the pre-columbian societies, specifically those of central america? How are they ranked in terms of importance and credibility? Am I correct to assume the Spanish literary production about the land in which they arrived and its peoples in the first centuries was rich compared to the very sparse literature of the Portuguese in Brazil?

Lastly, was any first hand witness from people who lived through that period and the Spanish conquest recorded in Spanish works of the era?

Thank you very much.