The previous day we'd arranged a full day tour of what remained of Tiwanaku, the center of one of the most important of all Andean cultures. It was the capital of the Tiwanaku empire between about 200-1000 AD and, at an altitude of 12,600 ft, was the highest city in the ancient world and had a peak population of between 30,000 and 70,000 residents.
On our way out of the capital, we passed a statue of Simón Bolívar, the greatest of the South American liberators and after whom Bolivia was named.
The Tiwanaku empire, at its height, dominated the altiplano plains and stretched from the Peruvian coast to northern Bolivia and included parts of northern Chile. The architecture, sculpture, roads, and empire management of Tiwanaku would exert a significant influence on the later Inca civilization.
Our guide, Luis, explained that as Tiwanaku was set in the barren wilderness of the Bolivian altiplano, few sites were as remote as the ancient city, and what remained of the city would be barely comprehensible to us. We would only be seeing twenty percent of Tiwanaku because the rest of the complex would not be excavated until this month, i.e. March of 2018.
One of the striking features of Tiwanaku were the large open spaces for ceremonial and religious activities. The sacred focal point was Akapana Pyramid, an artificial hill over 49 feet high and shaped into seven tiers. The top of the mound was made into a flat area and used to create a sunken court paved with andesite and sandstone slabs. Drainage was provided by stone channels which cascaded water down each of the terraces.
Eagle and condor ceramic shards were found in the seventh level of construction. The site may have been used in shamanic rituals, according to Luis as human bones were found indicating offerings had been made after the bodies were decapitated in the fifth level.
While holding onto ropes, we slowly climbed up the steep hill.
At the top, Luis mentioned the stones represented heaven and earth and the richness of the Tiwanaku culture's agricultural products as the key to their success was their superior farming techniques. The stones were hauled from Lake Titicaca that used to be 25 miles away but was now just 18 miles because the lake had eroded.
The people of Tiawanku were able to produce 35 tons of potatoes per hectare compared to just one ton with the previous farming technique. Irrigation was provided for crops via canals, aqueducts and dikes which brought water from the lake. Such measures allowed for a successful and reliable agricultural yield and for sustained population growth so that at its peak the city covered up to ten square kilometers. The culture's diversified economy resulted in a huge city comprised of scientists, government officials, etc.
Because many of the greatest mysteries of the Andes were found scattered among the Tiwanaku ruins, it has become the focus of many alternative historical theories, ancient alien theories, ancient transoceanic contact theories, and even Atlantis theories! "Tiwanaku has become a library of the unexplained. It is regularly frequented (often with camera crew in tow) by pseudo-archaeologists, Ufologists, mystics, spiritualists and anyone else who takes an interest in the profound and unexplained mysteries of the world."
In the distance we could see the Semi-Subterranean Temple.
One of the most impressive pieces of Tiwanaku stonework was this that represented the lunar calendar with the 4 phases and 28 days. If you click on the photo to make it larger, you can easily count the seven points on each shape representing the days of the week.
Luis showed us Kantatallita next, an enclosure built between 300-500 AD that means 'Light of the Dawn' in the Aymara language. The ground was composed of flagstones that may have been part of the bigger Akapana Pyramid. The arch-shaped lintel had a bas-relief with eight stylized anthropomorhic figures. Various segments of the friezes may have been covered with thin layers of gold fastened by gold nails.
We could just see figures of hunters on the lintel.
Until the 1990s, it was believed that men were in charge during the Tiawanku culture. However, it was then determined that women 'had the knowledge' as Luis explained it. These stones were part of the solar observatory at Kantatallita.
The enclosure was built in the Early Tiwanaku IV period which lasted from 500-600 AD. The Temple had a large sunken court accessed by a single staircase of seven stone steps leading down into the court.
The Semi-Subterranean Temple is one of the great mysteries of the Andes as it suggests that the Tiwanaku had either been in contact with, or inherited knowledge of, cultures that existed far beyond their continent. I read that the unusual alignment of the three stelae at the center of the courtyard reminded people of the three stars of Orion’s Belt and hinted at a connection with the three Great Pyramids of Giza and of Mexico City's Teotihuacan which we visited at the very end of our trip.
In the center of the courtyard was a weeping figure carved in red sandstone called The Friar. Holding a kero or traditional cup in one hand and a staff in the other, it was covered in thirty small representations of animals and mythical creatures. Due to the skirt with representations of fish and the bulging abdomen, it was possible to believe that it was a female idol.
Another enigmatic figure, the Ponce Monolith made of andesite and discovered in 1957, stood in the courtyard. Luis told us that it had been part of an observatory at Tiwanaku.
Both the Friar and Ponce monoliths stood wide-eyed, were covered in mysterious engravings and clutched objects in their hands. Perhaps the statues held beakers of intoxicating beverages and bottles of snuff that delivered hallucinogenic visions. The level of detail and craftsmanship within these profound blocks of stone seemed to defy logic. History says that these people had only stone and soft copper tools in order to produce them.
Again, I wasn't able to get a decent picture of the front but we could see a Catholic cross put on it by the Spaniards when they invaded this part of the world.
In the center was a deity holding a staff with condor heads in each hand. The mask-like face had 19 rays coming from his head which ended in either a circle or puma head. Underneath these figures was a row of geometrical designs.
The remains of human bones and copper knives were found in this beheaded monolith that had images of snakes on its sides. Luis said the position of the figure's hands was important as the figure was carved just 200 hundred years after Christ.
The people of Tiwanaku may have intended the magnificent, large stone sculptures we had just seen either to represent the first race of giants in pan-Andean mythology or former Tiwanaku rulers and priests.
The Tiwanaku Museum was our next stop.
This was one of the weirdest objects I can ever remember seeing!
The Bennett Stela, which had originally been located in the center of the Semi-Subterranean Temple, was the tallest stone sculpture surviving from any ancient Andean culture. At 24 feet high, the body was carved in high relief and depicted possibly a ruler or High Priest of Tiwanaku. It was moved from Tiwanaku to La Paz where it saw two civil wars, gunshots and graffiti! When it began to deteriorate, it was moved back in 2002. The different position of the hands in this figure represented the classical position and the evolution of society.
When I saw these remarkably modern-looking babies and snakes etched in andesite, they reminded me of images of angels seen in churches the world over.
The large open space in the center of the museum was used for nightly astronomical observations, educational groups and activities.
"The stonework of Pumapunku remains largely inexplicable. Attempts to provide logical theories on the purposes of the H-shaped blocks are only slightly less absurd than the claims that they were part of a UFO landing area. Their uniformity suggests they were made from molds. Throughout Pumapunka, the accuracy of their measurements and right angles is unbelievable."
I read that Pumapunku was considered the most luxurious building in Tiwanaku although I marveled how historians and archaeologists could have figured that given the jumble of stones strewn across a wide area! It must have been the sophisticated technology of the masonry, the ingenious drainage system and the enormous proportions of the structures. Bits of red, blue, green and white paint were found on the floors and some walls. Research has determined it was built between 600-800 AD.
The Pumapunku complex was so huge it extended across the road and under the homes.
The Tiwanaku empire collapsed around 1000 AD when faced with attacks from the Aymara Kingdoms, a collective group of states which included Colla, Lupaka, Cana, Canchi, Umasuyo and Pacaje. Tiwanaku the city was abandoned, possibly as late as 1100 AD, probably due to excessive drought brought about by regional climate change. However, "their monumental stone art and architecture survived to inspire the reverential Incas to similar artistic feats and they continue to impress the modern-day visitor with their timeless appeal."
On our way out of the capital, we passed a statue of Simón Bolívar, the greatest of the South American liberators and after whom Bolivia was named.
I wondered if this monument was 'just' of a Bolivian woman or of a Cholita that we had seen perform the previous night.
The Tiwanaku culture had solar observatories throughout its city so that shadows were projected at the equinox.
Before building the complex, the culture's early professionals devised this mini architectural rendering in stone, complete with steps.
The nearby 'T' logo or sign was a precursor of the Inca trapezoid shapes later seen in Peru. Tiwanaku's fine monumental stonework has long been admired including by the Incas. An indication of these skills is that much later the Inca deliberately imported their stonemasons from the Lake Titicaca basin in direct homage to the gifted builders of Tiwanaku.
I loved seeing llamas grazing as we walked through the brush toward the Semi-Subterranean Temple.
We headed directly for the three statues in the middle of the sunken courtyard. In 1932, the Bennett Monolith was discovered in the central part of the temple but later removed to La Paz and then a museum. More on it later in the post.
In its place was the Barbado Monolith, a prominent statue of a bearded man which stood with two assistants, as if delivering a powerful speech. Snakes were visible carved on each side of the face and at the bottom was a puma.
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a clear photo because the monolith was in the shade so you'll just have to take my word on the animal representations!
Two smaller anthropomorphic monoliths stood beside the larger figure. One of them depicted a man's face with dilated eyes and the hands of a bird. It is thought that it represented the underworld and of being under the effects of hallucinogens which were commonly used then.
The large figure's 'audience' was represented by 175 very spooky-looking, sculpted stone heads that protruded from the temple's four walls and which stared intently and silently into the courtyard.
Each head was unique and many had obscure features that seemed alien to the Andes. Some suggest this was the scene of the founding of humankind, with the supreme-being giving commands to his lords before dispatching them across the world to build the first civilizations.
Some of the heads had open eyes.
This ancient stone head looked exactly like an image of an alien's head! Luis explained that some babies were intentionally deformed by putting wood around their heads to elongate their heads. Rings were also placed in their noses and lips.
Along the base of the four walls were open stone canals.
Behind the temple was another sacred structure, Kalasasaya,
accessed by a single staircase with stone columns on either side.
Its sacred sunken court provided space for public and religious ceremonies. As a reminder of this, it had severed stone heads protruding from the interior of its sandstone perimeter walls which also included regularly placed tall columns.
Crabs from nearby Lake Titicaca were carved on the belt.
In 2013, Bolivian President Evo Morales demanded an offering altar be constructed and placed in the courtyard. As you can imagine, it looked very much out of sync with the timeless beauty of the other objects.
In the northwest corner of the Kalasasaya was perhaps the most famous structure of Tiwanaku, the monumental Gateway of the Sun. The gate belonged to the Early Tiwanaku V period from 800-1000 AD and weighed an astonishing ten tons! The stone would have been brought from the Kapia volcanic hill in Peru. The gate, discovered in pieces, would likely have been placed with an altar in the middle of the complex instead of being relocated.
The top portion had relief carvings of 48 winged demons or angels, each with either a human or bird head and wearing a feathered headdress. These figures were set in three rows.
Each side of the gate had a single rectangular niche. Based on the examination of bones that were found, the Tiwanaku people were no more than five feet tall. That was therefore the door's height. The two large openings were likely made for offerings.
This sculpture made of black basalt was called Chacha Puma and came from the western entrance of the Akapana Pyramid we had seen earlier.
After being 'culture vultures' for several hours, I can't tell you how refreshing it was seeing local women playing soccer on the grass outside the museum. It could not have been easy with their many layers of skirts and hats!
Luis had to almost drag me away so we could join the rest of the tour to see the ruins at Pumapunku, just a 20-minute walk from the main archaeological site of Tiwanaku. In Aymara, the name means 'The Puma's Door.' "Described by researcher Arthur Posnansky as a port, due to evidence of a salt water tide-line on the large stone platforms, and featuring many obscurely cut stones, Pumapunku is possibly the most hotly debated archaeological site in the world and undoubtedly one of the greatest mysteries of the Andes. The idea that it was a port has been largely discredited, not because the evidence doesn’t exist, but because the shoreline of Lake Titicaca is 15 km away and has not been in the vicinity of Puma Punku within the last 100,000 years."
Luis mentioned that what we were seeing was only the top as there were still five levels underground ready to be excavated!
For example, look at the perfect 90 degree angle and the precision of this stonework made in just 500 AD!
We had to wonder how these beautifully crafted stones that weighed upward of 100 tons, were cut with I-shaped cramp marks, when the strongest metal they had was a copper alloy that would not have stood a chance of holding such enormous blocks together.
These much heavier stones were used for ceremonial purposes in this area and to impress the population about the role of Tiwanaku's government.
The best example of the superb quality of the workmanship at Tiwanaku in my mind was this andesite block into which they were able to precision-cut a perfectly straight 6 mm wide groove. Twenty-four equidistant 6 mm holes were then drilled into the groove using nothing but stone tools! The metal tools they had would have been too soft.
It is still not known what stone-age methods were capable of performing such precision stone-cutting.
As we walked back to the van about 3:30, Steven and I both felt all 'ruined out' having seen so many admittedly fabulous ruins for the last month in Peru and these in Bolivia. We figured any other ruins would have to be something pretty fantastic for us to summon the desire to view even more.
It was so odd listening to Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' and other American classics on the way back to the city! After some hellish traffic, we finally reached La Paz's Plaza San Francisco and the church of the same name nine hours after being picked up that morning. We were definitely due for a more relaxing day the next day after two especially long ones.
Next post: Visiting La Paz's colonial past.
Posted on March 3rd, 2018, from Littleton, Colorado.
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