In 2021, an Italian-Peruvian archaeological team began a research project in the Ancash Sierra to investigate the origins of early monumental architecture in the northern-central Andes. The large complex of Tumshukayko—located in the northern part of the town of Caraz in Ancash, Peru—was immediately found to be the most suitable site for this project. This report presents an initial description of the current state of the remains, topographical data, and test pit results. Preliminary data suggest that Tumshukayko is a multicomponent site comprising at least two mounds that were built during the Initial Formative period (2500–1500 BC).
