Tiwanaku 3880m a.s.l.
(UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Tiwanaku is an ancient archaeological site named after one of the most important civilizations prior to the Inca Empire. Located 72 km (44 miles) west of La Paz, near the south-eastern shore of Lake Titicaca, lie the ruins of one of the oldest and highest urban cities ever built. For approximately five hundred years, the Tiwanaku empire grew from a small settlement focused on growing crops and other products not available on the Altiplano, into a thriving ritual and administrative capital of a major political state. Tiwanaku’s location between Lake Titicaca and the dry highlands provided a great environment for agricultural farming, making it a desirable base for the Tiwanaku. The ancient people developed expanded farming and agricultural techniques, invaluable to their civilization’s growth. Around AD 400, a state in the Titicaca basin began to develop and an urban city was built at Tiwanaku. By AD 500, Tiwanaku was the primary political power in the Titicaca Basin entering into its most powerful phase in the 8th century AD. Along with being the main headquarters of a powerful empire, Tiwanaku was also the sacred center of the Andean region. Many people made the pilgrimage to the sacred site, to worship and praise the Gods. Between AD 600 and 800, the Tiwanaku community continued to grow and is estimated to have supported a population of 20,000 inhabitants at its height. Through their growth, the Tiwanaku were able to extend their culture and political prowess into surrounding regions, spreading from northern Argentina and Chile through Bolivia to the south of Peru, making them the most important regional power in the southern Andes. Tiwanaku’s demise is believed to have begun around AD 950 when a substantial shift in climate occurred. In the Titicaca Basin, a drought was brought on by a significant drop in precipitation causing agricultural production, the empire’s source of power and authority, to dry up. People in the region eventually fled to different areas in the Altiplano or died and Tiwanaku completely disappeared around AD 1000. Abandoned for nearly 1,000 years, Tiwanaku was re-discovered in 1549 by Spanish conquistador, Pedro Cieza de León, who stumbled upon the remains while searching for the Inca capital, Qullasuyu. According to historical accounts, Indians of the Tiwanaku region told the first Spaniards that the ruins were either raised by giants or that they were the remains of an agnostic population whom Deity had converted into stone because they had refused to house his messenger.
The Mystery Surrounding Tiwanaku: Today, Tiwanaku remains an enigma, shrouded in mysteries of how, when, and by whom it was constructed. Much of Tiwanaku’s stone creations defy explanation, posing more questions to archaeologists than answers. For example, the site is strewn with enormous blocks of stone weighing up to 25 tons that no known pre-Colombian culture had the technology to transport. Over 28 centuries, the Tiwanakus created some of the most impressive stone monoliths in the world, engineered an ingenious irrigation system and gained advanced understanding of astronomy and the workings of the sun. The fascinating civilization was truly advanced beyond their years. Source: http://whc.unesco.org
(UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Tiwanaku is an ancient archaeological site named after one of the most important civilizations prior to the Inca Empire. Located 72 km (44 miles) west of La Paz, near the south-eastern shore of Lake Titicaca, lie the ruins of one of the oldest and highest urban cities ever built. For approximately five hundred years, the Tiwanaku empire grew from a small settlement focused on growing crops and other products not available on the Altiplano, into a thriving ritual and administrative capital of a major political state. Tiwanaku’s location between Lake Titicaca and the dry highlands provided a great environment for agricultural farming, making it a desirable base for the Tiwanaku. The ancient people developed expanded farming and agricultural techniques, invaluable to their civilization’s growth. Around AD 400, a state in the Titicaca basin began to develop and an urban city was built at Tiwanaku. By AD 500, Tiwanaku was the primary political power in the Titicaca Basin entering into its most powerful phase in the 8th century AD. Along with being the main headquarters of a powerful empire, Tiwanaku was also the sacred center of the Andean region. Many people made the pilgrimage to the sacred site, to worship and praise the Gods. Between AD 600 and 800, the Tiwanaku community continued to grow and is estimated to have supported a population of 20,000 inhabitants at its height. Through their growth, the Tiwanaku were able to extend their culture and political prowess into surrounding regions, spreading from northern Argentina and Chile through Bolivia to the south of Peru, making them the most important regional power in the southern Andes. Tiwanaku’s demise is believed to have begun around AD 950 when a substantial shift in climate occurred. In the Titicaca Basin, a drought was brought on by a significant drop in precipitation causing agricultural production, the empire’s source of power and authority, to dry up. People in the region eventually fled to different areas in the Altiplano or died and Tiwanaku completely disappeared around AD 1000. Abandoned for nearly 1,000 years, Tiwanaku was re-discovered in 1549 by Spanish conquistador, Pedro Cieza de León, who stumbled upon the remains while searching for the Inca capital, Qullasuyu. According to historical accounts, Indians of the Tiwanaku region told the first Spaniards that the ruins were either raised by giants or that they were the remains of an agnostic population whom Deity had converted into stone because they had refused to house his messenger.
The Mystery Surrounding Tiwanaku: Today, Tiwanaku remains an enigma, shrouded in mysteries of how, when, and by whom it was constructed. Much of Tiwanaku’s stone creations defy explanation, posing more questions to archaeologists than answers. For example, the site is strewn with enormous blocks of stone weighing up to 25 tons that no known pre-Colombian culture had the technology to transport. Over 28 centuries, the Tiwanakus created some of the most impressive stone monoliths in the world, engineered an ingenious irrigation system and gained advanced understanding of astronomy and the workings of the sun. The fascinating civilization was truly advanced beyond their years. Source: http://whc.unesco.org