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<< Our Photo Pages >> Tiwanaku - Ancient Village or Settlement in Bolivia

Submitted by davidmorgan on Wednesday, 02 October 2019  Page Views: 19582

Multi-periodSite Name: Tiwanaku Alternative Name: Tiahuanaco, Tiahuanacu, Kalasasaya
Country: Bolivia Type: Ancient Village or Settlement
Nearest Town: La Paz
Latitude: 16.55479S  Longitude: 68.673407W
Condition:
5Perfect
4Almost Perfect
3Reasonable but with some damage
2Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site
1Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks
0No data.
-1Completely destroyed
3 Ambience:
5Superb
4Good
3Ordinary
2Not Good
1Awful
0No data.
4 Access:
5Can be driven to, probably with disabled access
4Short walk on a footpath
3Requiring a bit more of a walk
2A long walk
1In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find
0No data.
5 Accuracy:
5co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates
4co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map
3co-ordinates scaled from a bad map
2co-ordinates of the nearest village
1co-ordinates of the nearest town
0no data
5

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I have visited· I would like to visit

ModernExplorers visited on 11th Apr 2006 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4 A beautiful site and very old. I love the elongated skulls and the famous doorway

SolarMegalith visited on 1st Jul 2003 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 4

Dutch visited on 16th Mar 1997 - their rating: Cond: 2 Impressive site. Also very touristy. A lot has disappeared, that much came clear. Got sent away watching some stone carvings at the nearby Pumapunka, because the site was under surveillance said the guard. I was allowed to make some drawings of the carvings, but the guards wouldn't allow photographs to be taken there. While I was drawing, one of the guards dug up a few tiny artifacts with his hands and a pocket knife. Little puppets of some sort, he said that it was because of research that the Pumapunka site was closed. Noticed tiny toads migrating towards Tihuanacu when I walked from there.

Tdiver visited on 1st Jan 1991 - their rating: Cond: 2 Amb: 5 Access: 5

sirius_b visited on 1st Jan 1982 - their rating: Cond: 5 Amb: 5 Access: 4

Ogham DrewParsons davidmorgan keniaar have visited here

Average ratings for this site from all visit loggers: Condition: 3 Ambience: 4.5 Access: 4.25

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by davidmorgan : La Puerta del Sol or Gateway of the Sun. November 1994. (Vote or comment on this photo)
The Tiwanaku culture existed as a city-state from 600 to 1000CE, but this site was occupied from 200BCE onwards. It is considered to have been one of the first cultures in South American that could be considered an "Empire." Tiwanaku had a sphere of influence (if not control) among neighbouring groups and it marshalled resources for public works including irrigation and system of canals and raised beds which allowed an intensive agriculture.

The Tiwanaku dominated the more southern areas on the Andes at the same time that the Wari (another "mini-Empire") controlled areas to the north. Both empires dissolved or dramatically changed around 1000CE.

The ceremonial site near the modern village of Tiwanacu is an extensive reconstruction from the 1960s. It includes features that are entirely modern (extensive walls) and may not replicate the original site, which current archaeology believe had stone groupings and not continuous walls. The impressive "Gateway of the Sun" was reconstructed on this site, but was actually built in a different location.

A UNESCO World Heritage site.

Note: Ceramic vessels decorated with images of fish and birds have been discovered at the Kalasasaya temple at Tiwanaku, a spiritual and political centre of the eponymous Tiwanaku culture located near the southern shore of Lake Titicaca, More details in the comments on our page.
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Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Ogham : Interesting area with stone heads in the wall. (Vote or comment on this photo)

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by DrewParsons : Site in Bolivia: Tiwanaku - the entrance (Vote or comment on this photo)

Tiwanaku - Akapana Pyramid
Tiwanaku - Akapana Pyramid submitted by SolarMegalith : Akapana Pyramid - one of the youngest constructions in Tiahuanaco, it's construction started around 8th century AD and was never finished (photo taken on May 2008). (Vote or comment on this photo)

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by DrewParsons : Site in Bolivia: Tiwanaku - the courtyard (Vote or comment on this photo)

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Ogham : Tiwanaku.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by SolarMegalith : Me and Gateway of the Sun, one of the most important structures in Tiahuanco (photo taken on July 2003). (2 comments)

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Ogham : Details of the carvings on the sun gate.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Ogham : General view looking back through the site.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Ogham : One of the many stone figures on the site.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by DrewParsons : Site in Bolivia: Tiwanaku. The courtyard wall with its embedded sculptures of heads

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by davidmorgan : The wall of heads at Tiwanaku. (1 comment)

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Dutch : Tihuanacu. Sungate + Viracocha. Gate of the Sun at Tiahuanaco, Kalasasaya. The central figure on top is also called the Staff God or Viracocha. Photo taken in March 1997. Scan of AGFA color slide. Olympus OM2n camera. Olympus OM Zuiko 50mm f1.8 lens.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Dutch : Tihuanacu - Subterranean monoliths. Group of 3 monoliths in the Semi-Subterranean Temple near the Kalasasaya Temple. Photo taken in March 1997. Scan of AGFA color slide. Olympus OM2n camera. Olympus OM Zuiko 35-105mm zoom lens.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Dutch : Tihuanacu - Subterranean-Kalasasaya, View at the entrance of Kalasasaya at Tiwanacu from Semi-Subterranean Temple. Photo taken in March 1997. Scan of AGFA color slide. Olympus OM2n camera. Olympus OM Zuiko 35-105mm zoom lens.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by durhamnature : Old photo of the broken gateway from "Across the Andes and Down the Amazon" via archive.org Site in Bolivia

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by durhamnature : The gateway, prior to being repaired, from "South American Archaeology" via archive.org

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by davidmorgan : Detail of the figures on La Puerta Del Sol.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by davidmorgan : Another statue, maybe sandstone. The extreme eastern edge of the Akapana pyramid may be seen in the left background of this photo. November 1994. (1 comment)

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by davidmorgan : The sunken courtyard with its wall of heads. November 1994. (1 comment)

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Dutch : Monolith, Tihuanacu Scan from catalogue 'De Schatten van Peru" 21 augustus - 31 october 1954 Centraal Museum Utrecht. "Stone Monolith Surroundings of Tiahuanaco. H37 cm. Basalt. monumental human figure, face plastical, arms, hands and belt in relief, further details zipped; headband with alternating four-legged animal with human face and bullhead; under the eye condorhead; furthe...

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by davidmorgan : View from the Akapana pyramid. The Gateway of the Sun can be seen top left. November 1994.

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by durhamnature : Stairway, from "South American Archaeology" via archive.org (1 comment)

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by Michelledubois : This is the portrayal of Viracocha on the Sun Gate at Tiwanaku. Contrary to popular belief, he is not weeping tears. This is erosion. His eyes are the shapes of Pumas; also, there are 3 other Sun gates there; one on top of the Kalapana pyramid, fallen over, and the other two at Puma Punku. They are all diorite, and I bet they all originally lived at Puma Punku; four gates, four directions. The fo...

Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku submitted by DrewParsons : Close up of one of the many scultured heads embedded into the courtyard wall.

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Nearby sites listing. In the following links * = Image available
 180m SSE 160° Tiwanaku - Akapana Pyramid* Pyramid / Mastaba
 1.0km SW 222° Pumapunku* Ancient Temple
 29.5km NNW 341° Suriki Island* Ancient Mine, Quarry or other Industry
 61.6km NW 314° Copacabana Ceremonial Center Ancient Temple
 74.9km W 268° Cuncaicha Natural Stone / Erratic / Other Natural Feature
 76.4km NW 319° La Fuente del Inca* Holy Well or Sacred Spring
 102.0km WNW 295° Aramu Muru* Sculptured Stone
 123.8km WNW 288° Jiskairumoko Ancient Village or Settlement
 149.1km WNW 299° Puno Fertility Sanctuary* Ancient Temple
 183.7km WNW 300° Sillustani necropolis* Ancient Temple
 187.0km WNW 302° Lake Titicaca Raised Fields Ancient Village or Settlement
 240.7km WSW 255° Cerro Baul Ancient Village or Settlement
 266.6km SW 218° Lluta Valley Geoglyphs* Hill Figure or Geoglyph
 270.4km SW 216° San Miguel de Azapa Archaeological Museum* Museum
 270.9km SW 215° Azapa Valley Geoglyphs* Hill Figure or Geoglyph
 274.3km SW 217° Cerro Sagrado Geoglyphs Hill Figure or Geoglyph
 274.5km SW 217° La Tropilla Geoglyphs* Hill Figure or Geoglyph
 292.8km WNW 282° Sumbay Rock Art
 300.4km WSW 246° Museo Chiribaya Museum
 302.7km WSW 246° Chiribaya Alta Ancient Village or Settlement
 326.8km SSW 205° Chiza Geoglyphs* Hill Figure or Geoglyph
 359.9km SSW 202° Tiliviche Geoglyphs* Hill Figure or Geoglyph
 383.1km SSW 193° Tarapacá geoglyphs Hill Figure or Geoglyph
 390.8km SSW 195° Atacama Giant* Hill Figure or Geoglyph
 392.0km NW 312° Raqchi* Ancient Temple
View more nearby sites and additional images

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"Tiwanaku" | Login/Create an Account | 10 News and Comments
  
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Re: Tiwanaku by Anonymous on Sunday, 13 October 2019
That's the present day archaeological site, but aerial surveys have indicated that Tiwanaku is much larger than the part that's been excavated, and covered some 1,038 acres (420 hectares). Whilst I don't doubt that Tiwanaku and the Tiwanaku sphere of cultural influence did exist during the era you mention, there is evidence that the site is much, much older than that. It needs to be remembered that the archaeological site that the public sees there today is largely the creation of the Bolivian archaeologist Carlos Ponce Sanguines, who for instance, constructed the walls of the Kalasasaya Temple from the megaliths strewn about the site. Incidentally, there have been several astronomical datings made of the Kalasasaya based on the original corner stones of its courtyard, which are still standing, based on changes to the obliquity of the ecliptic. These have given dates of around 9,500 BCE. There is also much yet to be found that lies well beneath the alluvial mud that covers much of the site. Not least amongst these more ancient remains is another pyramid that was detected by ground penetrating radar in 2015 directly beneath the Kantatallita courtyard/Temple.
[ Reply to This ]

Tiwanaku Vessels Unearthed at Bolivian Temple by bat400 on Tuesday, 01 October 2019
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Ceramic vessels decorated with images of fish and birds have been discovered at the Kalasasaya temple at Tiwanaku, a spiritual and political center of the eponymous Tiwanaku culture located near the southern shore of Lake Titicaca, according to an Associated Press report.

Julio Condori of the Archaeological Investigations Center of Tihuanaco said the pots dated to between A.D. 400 and 600, and could help researchers understand the role of the Kalasasaya temple in Tiwanaku society. The vessels were arranged in a circle before they were buried, and may have been part of a funeral offering for a member of the nobility.
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The Titicaca basin: a paradigmatic region for multidisciplinary studies by Andy B on Wednesday, 12 February 2014
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Sitting 3,811 m above sea level, Lake Titicaca is in a basin high in the Andes on the border of Peru and Bolivia. The western part of the lake lies within the Puno Region of Peru, and the eastern side is located in the Bolivian La Paz Department. Both regions have terraced hills and plains covered with raised fields, representing the remains of a huge agricultural system. Near the lake, in Bolivia, we find the well-known ruins of Tiwanaku.

Actually, the Titicaca basin can be a paradigmatic region for the growth of several multidisciplinary studies. There are many interesting researches in archaeology and anthropology, geophysical analysis and remote sensing investigations: all these studies need to be compared to answer questions that are still open on the history of this area. The ancient agricultural system of the raised fields that can be easily and freely observed with Google Maps.

From the point of view of archaeological/anthropological studies, besides of course the researches on the Tiwanaku area with its monumental remains, the “raised fields” are quite important. This system of fields is an old technique of soil and water management, consisting of a series of earthworks on which crops can grow, surrounded by water canals. A known benefit of this system is the frost mitigation during the night, avoiding the damage of crops.

More at
http://stretchingtheboundaries.blogspot.it/2011/04/titicaca-basin-paradigmatic-region-for.html
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Re: The Gateway of the Sun by Michelledubois on Sunday, 09 October 2011
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The actual Gateway of the Sun, at Tiwanaku, is thought to have been moved from the site of a port on Lake Titikaka. When it was discovered in the 1960's it had been toppled over and nobody could remember where exactly it had come from, or even who had moved it. Some scholars believe it once served as a calendar.
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    Re: The Gateway of the Sun by Anonymous on Sunday, 13 October 2019
    Actually, the Gateway of the Sun has at the Tiwanaku site for many years, most probably since it was first created. If you doubt me, then take a look at Posnansky''s ''Cradle of American Man'', which was published early last century. There''s a photograph of it there, in situ, at Tiwanaku. Some people think it may originally have stood on top of Puma Punku, however.
    [ Reply to This ]

Re: Bolivian archaeologists search for ancient DNA in mummies by Anonymous on Monday, 15 February 2010
I guess if they really discover that all hominids didn't come from Africa, the news will be surpressed, like everything that doesn't fit within the parameters of "forced indoctrination" that passes for "Science", Just like what took place at Hueyatlaco in Mexico. and a million other sites, that's buried under their biased viewpoints.
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Bolivian archaeologists search for ancient DNA in mummies by bat400 on Wednesday, 10 February 2010
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Submitted by coldrum ---

Archaeologists at the Tiwanaku ruins in western Bolivia are searching for ancient DNA in mummies. The effort is part of a five-year global project to better understand how human beings migrated from Africa to every corner of the planet.

The Geno-graphic Project will collect more than 100-thousand DNA samples from mummies and indigenous people around the world. It was launched in April 2005, and aims to trace how humans migrated from Africa to nearly every corner of the globe.

Five years on, the project is coming to an end. And the samples from these mummies are some of the last to be collected.Samples have been taken from twelve archaeological sites in Bolivia over the last six months.



Source: http://english.cctv.com/program/cultureexpress/20100204/101406.shtml.
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