Collapse and cohesion: building community in the aftermath of Tiwanaku state breakdown

After the collapse of the Tiwanaku state around AD 1000, populations in the south-central Andes dispersed from large urban centers to smaller villages, a pattern often associated with social fragmentation. This study reveals that despite such dispersal, communities could rebuild cohesion through collective ceremonial practices. Unlike during the height of state control, these rituals were performed in open, accessible spaces, reinforcing shared ancestry while rejecting elite authority. The research suggests that community solidarity was maintained not by replicating hierarchical structures but by adapting long-standing ritual behaviors to new social contexts.

Sharratt, N. (2016). Collapse and cohesion: building community in the aftermath of Tiwanaku state breakdown. World Archaeology, 48(1), 144–163. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2015.1110043