Ponce in the Temple of Kalasasaya
Ponce's head
a view of the main square of Kalasasaya
the famous Sun Gate, with the god Viracocha. Some say it is a sort of calendar
excavation of the pyramid has started, but there is a long way to go
itis a dusty place, it has not rained for a long time.
the monoliths in the subterrain temple
there are some two hundred stone faces in the wall, they are all different. Meaning unknown
The Templete, or subterranean temple, note Ponce in the background.
it's unofficial name is The Idol
Tiwanaku is an archeological site located halfway between the Peruvian border and La Paz., not far from Lake Titicaca.
It holds
the remains of the capital of an ancient empire including parts of Peru, Chile and Argentina.
Although the place dates
back to at least 1500 BC, the Tiwanaku civilisation saw its haydays between 600 to 1200 AD.
In 1445 it became part of the
Inca empire.
The indigenous Aymara people claim to be of Tiwanaku descendance.
Most of the buildings are
gone: destroyed, looted or used to build the railroad.
Some of the restorations are poorly done. Despite this, Tiwanaku
remains impressive, with highlights such as the Gateway of the Sun, the mysterious faces in the subterranean temple and the large
monolithic statues of Ponce.
We visited the ancient site of Tiwanaku in June 2008.
some artefacts outside the museum
the railway station still shows the old name for Tiwanaku
the statue of Ponce
outside you can buy typical Bolivian items
only the large irregular stones are original. There may have been no wall at all
