TRAVELLIVE 1 - 2018

Surreal structures
of the Incas
The ruined ancient city of Tiwanaku
is located in the southeast of Lake
Titicaca, 72km west of La Paz.
According to archaeologists, the
area surrounding Tiwanaku had
been inhabited since early 1,500 BC.
Most studies are consistent with the
hypothesis that Tiwanaku was built
between 300 and 1,000 BC. Tiwanaku
was at the time, the ritual and
administrative center of the region.
In 1945, Bolivian engineer Arthur
Posnansky used archaeoastronomical
techniques to estimate that Tiwanaku
dated to 15,000 BC. This calculation
technique however, was disregarded
by other archaeologists. Even so, most
archaeologists agree that Tiwanaku
is the most ancient city in the world,
existed even before the legendary
Lake Titicaca.
Tiwanaku's power began to decline
in the 11th century, and completely
collapsed in the 12th century. To this
day, archaeologists have yet to find
an answer to the sudden fall of the
Tiwanaku empire. One thing that they
agree on is that Tiwanaku was once
the capital, as well as the spiritual and
political center of a powerful empire
that lasted for 500 years.
I was stunned standing in front of
the archaeological ruins. The most
impressive thing to me was the
large platform mound around the
central temple Kalasasaya, which is
surrounded by high stone walls, made
of red sandstone rocks that weigh
up to 130 tons each. Archaeologists
are still baffled as to how the ancient
people carried these enormous blocks
from the quarry that was 10km
away. Scattered around the site are
sophisticated structures, made of
green Andesite stones that originate
from the Copacabana Peninsula on
Lake Titicaca. One theory is that these
giant stones, which weigh over 40
tons were transported some 90 km
across Lake Titicaca on reed boats,
then laboriously dragged another
10km to the present location of
Tiwanaku.
A few hundred meters away is the
intriguing site of Puma Punku, a
temple and monument complex of
the ancient Incas. Archaeologists
beliveve what remains today could
only be built by beings with superior
intelligence. The technical finesse
and precision displayed in the
making of those giant stone blocks is
too astounding for words.
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TRAVELLIVE