The Founding of Tiwanaku

Recent excavations at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tiwanaku, one of the most significant Andean sites, challenge long-standing assumptions about its founding. Using new radiocarbon dating and stratigraphic analysis from the Kk'araña sector, researchers determined that the site's earliest material culture dates to the first or second century A.D., refuting earlier estimates around 300 B.C. This refinement suggests Tiwanaku emerged rapidly during the Late Formative period, offering critical insights into its ceramic chronology and state formation processes.

Marsh, E. (2012). The Founding of Tiwanaku. Ñawpa Pacha, 32(2), 69–187. https://doi.org/10.1179/naw.2012.32.2.69