Tiwanaku

Also known as Tiahuanaco, Tiahuanacu

Tiwanaku ( or ) is a Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, near Lake Titicaca, about 70 kilometers from La Paz, and it is one of the largest sites in South America. Surface remains currently cover around 4 square kilometers and include decorated ceramics, monumental structures, and megalithic blocks. It has been conservatively estimated that the site was inhabited by 10,000 to 20,000 people in AD 800.

AI overview

Tiwanaku is a large Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia near Lake Titicaca that flourished around AD 800 with a population of 10,000 to 20,000 people. The site, which spans about 4 square kilometers and contains monumental structures, megalithic blocks, and decorated ceramics, ranks among South America's largest archaeological sites and offers important evidence of ancient Andean civilization.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Ancient site.name: Tiwanaku
Ancient site.alternate_name: Tiahuanaco, Tiahuanacu
Ancient site.image: PUERTA DEL SOL TIWANAKU.jpg
Ancient site.caption: The "Gate of the Sun"
Ancient site.map_type: Bolivia
Ancient site.relief: yes
Ancient site.map_alt: Map showing location in Bolivia
Ancient site.location: Tiwanaku Municipality, Bolivia
Ancient site.type: Settlement
Ancient site.built: ?
Ancient site.cultures: Tiwanaku polity
Ancient site.condition: In ruins
Ancient site.designation1: WHS
Ancient site.designation1_offname: Tiwanaku: Spiritual and Political Centre of the Tiwanaku Culture
Ancient site.designation1_date: 2000 (24th session)
Ancient site.designation1_number: 567
Ancient site.designation1_criteria: iii, iv
Ancient site.designation1_type: Cultural

via Wikipedia infobox

~24 min read

Encyclopedic overview

16 sections

Contents

Site history
Relationships
Structures
Akapana
Akapana East
Pumapunku
Kalasasaya
Cosmology
Archaeology
Contemporary excavation and restoration
Aerial surveillance
Important authors
See also
References
Bibliography
External links

The site was first recorded in written history in 1549 by Spanish conquistador Pedro Cieza de León while he was searching for the southern Inca capital of Qullasuyu.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Tiwanaku” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.