THE RUINS OF TIWANAKU, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA by James M. Wise
The great ancient city complexes of the Americas include Tenochtitlan and Teotihuacán of Mexico, Tikal in Guatemala, Chan Chan in northern Peru, Caral in central Peru, and Machu Picchu in southern Peru. Also, Tiwanaku in northern Bolivia. These represent the Aztecs 1300-1521 A.D., Mayans 2000 B.C. to 1697 A.D., Chimu culture 850 – 1470 A.D., Caral culture 3,000-1,800 B.C., and Incas 1438-1525 A.D., respectively. The broad flat valley some 17 km south of the shores of Lake Titicaca was in the southern part of the Inca Empire. The Inca’s mythology held that the first Inca came from Late Titicaca, however, the styles in the stone carvings found at Tiwanaku appear to pre-date the development of the Incas, developed during 300 to 1100 A.D. The present day preserved ruins in the protected park covers 1.5 km of stone walls and foundations. The park charges a modest entrance fee of 80 Bolivianos for foreigners. It opens at 9 a.m. A taxi from downtown La Paz can bring one to visit this important site in about a one-hour drive, a must-see destination for the appreciation of megalithic structures and cultures of the Americas. At 3,862 meters elevation, this is the highest major monumental temple complex in the Americas.
Early detailed descriptions of the site Ephraim George Squier during a visit in the 1860s, and by Alphons Stübel in 1876. As part of the railway surveys, engineer Georg von Grumbkow photographed the site in 1892. Reconstruction of the site was done by the Bolivian government in the 1960s, with perhaps many of the clean walls being built not to the original design.
Sunken temple– cabeza clava appearing like the Chimu culture with carvings found at the Chavin de Huantar site in Peru, which in turn has curved stylistic drawings reminiscent of carvings used by the Mayans. This is just our impression, which would probably make the trained archaeologists cringe.
Kalasasaya temple platform
Puerta del Sol
This rectangular stone arch stands 3 meters high. The stone lentil has a central figure holding two staves, and two either side is a motif of 48 profile figures holding a staff, draw in quasi-Mayanesque fashion.
Puerta de la Luna
Along the north side of the low mound, the Puerta de la Luna stone archway stands at 2.23 m in height and is decorated with “radiating solar faces.” This rock carving was found at the colonial cemetery and may have originated from the Pumapunko site to the south.
Statues called “estelas”
The most characteristic symbol of Tiwanaku is the large stone statues of their likely chief or king. On display on the Kalasasaya temple platform or two better examples. The Estela Ponce is carved from andesite and measures 3.05-m high. It holds symbols of power in snuff tablet and keru (a large drinking vessel; Quechua term for Inca drinking cups used to drink fermented corn beer). The Estela Fraile, at 2.45-m height, is carved from red sandstone. It is holding a walking staff and keru, but also wears a motif like a skirt. The greatest one, called the Bennett monolith, resides in the site museum, and it measures 7.3-meters in height. Typical of many Bolivian museums, and with third-world bureaucratic backwardation, they do not permit pictures inside of the museum. This is the largest stone statue found across all the ruins. It was originally found lying within the Semi-subterranean temple.
Kantatallita ruins holds several carved stone figures, include a stone lentil with a mosaic drawing, and large inset cross shape, which throughout Peru is termed a Chakana, also called the Andean cross. The name Kantatallita comes from the Aymara language and it means the morning light.
Do connect with us:
ResearchGate: James M. Wise
Author´s page: James M. Wise
Photography page: JamesM.Wise.com
Author´s page: Yanira K. Wise
Exploring South America’s inexhaustible creative force.
