These remarkable architectural creations not only symbolized the institutions that built them, but actively conveyed the power of their patrons. Palaces have been tools in political and social action since the emergence of powerful states, and it is tempting to think of the term palace as a universal phenomenon, at least among complex societies. Tawantinsuyu, the Pre-Columbian world’s largest empire, would be expected to have produced palaces comparable to those of other great civilizations.