At the site of Kotosh, archaeologists have uncovered an expansive stone-paved terrace designed to accommodate hundreds of people for communal ritual dining. The presence of massive hearths and thousands of specialized drinking vessels indicates that early Andean societies were already organizing highly structured seasonal festivals long before the rise of the Inca.
Analysis of organic remains on the terrace points to the consumption of early maize-based beverages and communal llama meat, suggesting these festivals were vital for establishing social bonds between early mountain communities. This discovery highlights the 'festival' as a foundational social technology that drove the construction of monumental architecture in South America's earliest civilizations.