Verified16.5547° S · 68.6733° W · 3850 m
Tiwanaku
Tiahuanaco · Tiahuanacu
Formative to Tiwanaku Period 300–1000 CE (flourishing 500–950)·Tiwanaku Empire·🇧🇴 La Paz Department, Bolivia
About
About Tiwanaku
Capital of Tiwanaku Empire (300–1000 CE) on Altiplano near Lake Titicaca at 3,850 m, featuring Akapana pyramid, Kalasasaya enclosure, and Gateway of the Sun carved from single andesite blocks weighing up to 100 tonnes, influencing later Inca and Wari.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Rapid collapse ~1000 CE – drought, internal unrest?
- 02Acoustic properties of semi-subterranean temple
Theories
- 01Lake Titicaca water-level change theory
- 02Geopolymer artificial stone claims (Davidovits) not peer-accepted
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 400–900 CE major monumental phase
- Period
- Formative to Tiwanaku Period 300–1000 CE (flourishing 500–950)
- Culture
- Tiwanaku Empire
- Purpose
- Political-spiritual capital and pilgrimage center for southern Central Andes
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
400–900 CE major monumental phase
Initial construction
c. 1612 CE
Major expansion
On the ground
Structures & features
16.5547° S · 68.6733° W · 3850 m · 4 mapped features
- 16.5549° S · 68.6725° W
Akapana Pyramid
pyramid - 16.5550° S · 68.6740° W
Kalasasaya Temple & Gateway of the Sun
temple - 16.5553° S · 68.6738° W
Semi-Subterranean Temple
temple - 16.5546° S · 68.6735° W
Ponce Monolith
monolith
Gallery