US EditionAncient temple ruins discovered in Andes shed light on lost society
- Archaeologists led by José Capriles discovered an ancient Tiwanaku temple complex called Palaspata on a hill in Caracollo, Bolivia, roughly 130 miles south of Tiwanaku's main site.
- The team used UAV flights and blended satellite images to reveal faint stone alignments that local farmers knew but researchers had not explored in depth.
- The 125-meter-long complex contains 15 quadrangular enclosures around a rectangular courtyard and connected three trade routes across distinct ecosystems during Tiwanaku times.
- Fragments of keru cups used for drinking chicha indicate the temple had religious and trade functions, with its layout likely aligned to perform solar equinox rituals.
- Published in Antiquity, the findings reveal overlooked local heritage, offer proof of Tiwanaku’s regional influence, and prompt further study to clarify the temple’s age and role.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Lost Temple of Ancient Tiwanaku Civilization Discovered in Bolivia
Isometric reconstruction of the Palaspata temple rendered with 3m-tall walls. Credit: Authors / CC BY 4.0 A team of archaeologists has uncovered a lost temple from the Tiwanaku civilization in the highlands of Bolivia, offering new insight into the ancient state’s expansion into the eastern Andes. The discovery of this monumental religious complex, known as Palaspata, reveals direct evidence of Tiwanaku’s presence in a region previously thought …
Ancient temple ruins discovered in Andes shed light on lost society
An ancient society near the southern shores of Lake Titicaca in modern-day Bolivia was once one of the continent's most powerful civilizations. Known as Tiwanaku, the ancient society is widely considered by archaeologists to be one of the earliest examples of civilization in the Andes and a precursor of the Inca empire, but it mysteriously disappeared about a thousand years ago. Now, a team led by scientists at Penn State and in Bolivia have dis…
A group of archaeologists have discovered an ancient temple of the disappeared civilization Tiwanaku, forerunner of the Inca Empire. The discovery opens up new unknowns about the true expansion of this society.
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