Stone Center of the World

Tiwanaku covers 4 square kilometers of decorated ceramics and megalithic blocks.

Tiwanaku is a Pre-Columbian site about 70 kilometers from La Paz.

Bernabé Cobo reported the name taypiqala means stone in the center.

Reliable radiocarbon dates suggest Tiwanaku was founded around AD 110.

The Akapana is a half Andean Cross structure standing 16.5 meters tall.

Pumapunku contains a stone block estimated to weigh 131 metric tonnes.

The Kalasasaya courtyard is more than 300 feet long.

Explorers found the Gateway of the Sun inside the Kalasasaya courtyard.

Carvings on the Gateway of the Sun depict animals and other beings.

Tenon heads in many styles cover walls of the Semi-Subterranean Temple.

The Akapana Gate demonstrates high skill in precise stone-cutting.

Tiwanaku elites controlled output but provided commoners all needed resources.