44 miles to the west of La
Paz, Bolivia are the mysterious ruins of Tiahuanaco.
Little is known about this pre-incan society. Visitors
taking a Bolivia tour while in the country will benefit
much from a guided tour to this, one of the greatest of
all the Incan Ruins in all of South America.
Tiahuanaco is located on the southeastern shores of Lake
Titicaca. It is a widely thought that at its height, Tiahuanaco
was a thriving city, and marine fossils were found in
the ruins. If this was the case, Lake Titicaca has receded
12 miles since that early time. Even with the aid of an
informative guide, a mystery hangs like a cloud over the
long abandoned temple-complex and settlement near the
southern shores of Lake Titicaca.
This is considered by many archeologists to be the worlds'
most ancient city, which makes this fact even more fascinating
is the craftsmanship and painstaking detail that was invested
in the creation with which these structures were built.
The devotion and the energy that went into the creation
of this awe-inspiring site just boggles the mind as you
walk through these Inca Ruins, whose renowned is rivaled
only by other sites such as Macchu Picchu in Peru.
The culture of Tiahuanaco was said to have flourished
from 500 BC to 900-1000 AD. The stark, austere megaliths
are covered with powerful and intricately carved geometric
designs. The Kalasaya complex is an enormous platform
with a sunken courtyard. Solemn megaliths break the continuity
of the pale brown dust. Stoic stone faces dot the mortarless
stone fortifications of the Temple of Kalasaya complex.
Though not as well-preserved as more recent Inca ruins
from the 15th century; just hearing about Tiahuanaco,
Inca legends sets the imagination ablaze with folklore
and myth.
It is thought by some that this ancient settlement existed
long before Lake Titicaca, and that a cataclysmic flood
of the like of Noah's Flood covered parts of the city.
Even the mystifying Incan creation myth of the great God
Viracocha, who could turn hills into plains and plains
into hills, reflect the changing nature of this dramatic
landscape.
The highest terracing on the hills and mountainsides
in parts of Bolivia are some of the earliest, which lends
credibility to the idea that suggest that this area might
have experienced flooding. Newer planting on the lower
elevations adds weight to this fascinating theory about
flood waters creating devastation on a cataclysmic scale.
In 1980 archeological excavations confirmed the Indian
legends of submerged pre-Inca ruins city of the Indians.
There were indeed ruins found; precise rows of massive
hewn stones, and steps leading mysteriously into the lake
floor of Lake Titicaca only add to the mystery.
No Bolivia tour is complete without a visit to this ancient
monument. You will understand the awe of the Inca as you
wander through this marvel of ancient engineering.
The sun gate is the apex of this temple complex. Adding
to the enigma, elaborately carved symbols on this enormous
45-ton piece of stone are a riddle, and endless source
of fascination for scientist, archeologist, and tourist
alike. Some have used the calendar, which they claim it
is, for dating this civilization as early as 16,000 BC.
Conflicting theories with such conflicting dates as this
only fuel speculation and extend the powerful reach of
the impressive Tiahuanaco's ancient power.
