Wankarani Mound-Pyramid (Highland Bolivia)
Wankarani · Wankarani mound · Altiplano Wankarani pyramid · Wankarani village mound
Early Horizon to Early Intermediate (Late Formative)·Wankarani (highland Altiplano)·🇧🇴 Oruro Department, Wankarani — southern Altiplano east of Oruro, Poopó basin, Bolivia
About
About Wankarani Mound-Pyramid (Highland Bolivia)
High-altitude mound village type-site of the Wankarani culture (1200–270 BCE, Late Formative Altiplano, pre-Tiwanaku) — artificial tell-mound 80×60 m base, 8 m high pyramidal accretion of 1200 years of adobe village debris, successive roundhouse foundations, camelid corrals and stone llama-head sculpture. At 3950 m in southern Altiplano, one of highest permanent pyramid-mounds in the world. Excavated by Carlos Ponce Sanginés 1970, then M. Kolata? 1990s. Links Chiripa to Tiwanaku low platform tradition.
Why it mattersType-site of Wankarani Altiplano culture; shows high-altitude (3950 m) adaptation via mound accretion and llama pastoralism before Tiwanaku urbanism.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Cause of 270 BCE abandonment — climate or Tiwanaku expansion
- 02Llave llama sculpture function
Theories
- 01Wankarani mounds are proto-pukara tell stage before Tiwanaku platforms
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 1200–270 BCE (Early Horizon / Early Intermediate, Wankarani)
- Period
- Early Horizon to Early Intermediate (Late Formative)
- Culture
- Wankarani (highland Altiplano)
- Builders
- Wankarani agro-pastoralists (camelid herders)
- Purpose
- Accretional village tell-mound with ceremonial plaza atop
- Abandoned
- c. 270 BCE (transition to Tiwanaku)
- Rediscovered
- 1970 (Carlos Ponce Sanginés)
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 1200–270 BCE (Early Horizon / Early Intermediate, Wankarani)
Initial construction
c. 1356 CE
Abandonment
On the ground
Structures & features
17.6667° S · 67.6667° W · 3950 m · 2 mapped features
Wankarani tell-pyramid
mound80×60 m tell mound 8 m, 40 adobe layers
17.6667° S · 67.6667° WSummit plaza
plaza20×20 m village plaza with roundhouses
17.6665° S · 67.6665° W
Gallery