Monumental constructions are often associated with developed power structures, exploiting unequal access to resources to control large labour forces. Yet archaeological research worldwide increasingly shows that this model is not only an oversimplification, but often is also wrong. Here, the authors explore the burial mounds at Kaillachuro in the Peruvian Andes, and present new radiocarbon dates that position these mounds as the earliest evidence of monumental architecture in the Titicaca Basin. Built over 2000 years through recurring acts of communal memorialisation, this novel architectural tradition forces us to reflect on the role of ritual in socioeconomic transformations of highland Andes communities.
