500 - 1000 A.D.
Norther Andes
By this time cities and states are forming due to the population growth and territorial expansion. Many settlements become more urban. Class distinctions result in increased demand for luxury items and exchange of goods. Public and ceremonial architecture consists essentially of earthern mounds and platforms, some stone-faced. They serve as substructures for buildings and/or as the location of burials. Important burials are primarily in shaft-and-chamber tombs, often of considerable depth. Decoration on ceramic vessels and figures is common. Metalworking increases and reaches a high degree of artistry with different styles.
Central and Southern Andes
Two states rise to power, Tiwanaku in the Bolivia and Wari in the South-Central Andes. States are joined by roads and trade connections. They have similarities among the artworks of the two centers; however, they have important differences like their architecture, stone sculpture, and urban planning. The manufacture of sumptuous textiles, primarily in tapestry weave, and spectacular polychrome slip-painted ceramics reaches a high level of technical excellence. Metalworking, particularly in gold and silver, appears to decline during most of the period. After 900, metalworking resumes on a large scale.