Ancient Temple Ruins Shed Light on Life of Tiwanaku, a Thriving Pre-Inca Civilization

Based on archaeological excavations, we know that ancient Andean civilizations emerged at least as far back as 3500 B.C.E. and evolved until the Spanish conquest started in the 15th century. Notably, the last and youngest civilization, the Inca Empire, is also the most known today. However, several civilizations thrived in South America before the Inca left their mark.

Researchers from Penn State University and in Bolivia have recently discovered a temple from the Tiwanaku civilization, one of the largest empires that emerged before the Inca.

Their study, published in Antiquity, displays the temple site in detail, and as José Capriles, Penn State associate professor of anthropology and lead study author, put it in a press release: “With more insight into the past of this ancient site, we get a window into how people managed cooperation, and how we can materially see evidence of political and economic control.”

Who Were the Tiwanaku?

The Tiwanaku have fascinated experts for generations. Based around Lake Titicaca in today’s Bolivia, they extended their influence into areas of present-day Peru, Chile, and Argentina and are known for their monumental architecture and regional influence.

“At its peak, it boasted a highly organized societal structure, leaving behind remnants of architectural monuments like pyramids, terraced temples and monoliths, most of which are distributed in sites around Lake Titicaca and, while we know Tiwanaku’s control and influence extended much further, scholars debate how much actual control over distant places it had,” explained Capriles.

Despite their successes, Capriles said their society collapsed around 1000 C.E. and was already in ruins when the Incas arrived. New finds like the temple discovery could help researchers better understand their way of life and, ultimately, their mysterious decline.

Read More: Does the Grand Civilization of the Inca Empire Still Exist Today?

A Newly Found Temple and Its Secrets

The team identified the site, an unrecorded quadrangular plot, through satellite imagery and drone flights. “Because the features are very faint, we blended various satellite images together,” Capriles said. “By means of photogrammetry, a technique that uses photos to construct a 3D approximation, we got a more detailed rendering.”

What emerged was the outline of a ceremonial complex now known as Palaspata, a temple about the size of a city block. It includes 15 enclosures arranged around a central courtyard, likely designed for solar-aligned rituals.

Researchers found ceramic fragments of keru cups used to drink chicha, a maize beer consumed during agricultural feasts. Since maize doesn’t grow at the high-altitude site, the presence of the cups points to long-distance trade, likely with the Cochabamba valleys.

According to the study, the temple represents a gateway node, that effectively materialized the power and influence of the Tiwanaku state.

A Strategic Location

The temple lies about 130 miles south of Tiwanaku’s main site, atop a hill long known to local farmers but overlooked by researchers. Its location proved significant: it sat at the junction of three key ecological zones — the Lake Titicaca highlands, the llama-herding Altiplano, and the fertile Cochabamba valleys.

Capriles explained that people of the time built temples throughout the arid mountain landscape in such strategic locations to connect communities and resources.

He believes the temple played both religious and economic roles. “Most economic and political transactions had to be mediated through divinity, because that would be a common language that would facilitate various individuals cooperating.”

Even local leaders were caught off guard by the find. “The archaeological findings at Palaspata are significant because they highlight a crucial aspect of our local heritage that had been completely overlooked,” said Justo Ventura Guarayo, mayor of the municipality of Caracollo in the news statement.

“This discovery is vital for our community, and we believe its documentation will be invaluable for promoting tourism and showcasing our region’s rich history.”

The city is now working with experts and government agencies to ensure the site’s proper protection and preservation.

Read More: How the Inca Road System Tied Together an Empire

Article Sources

Our writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:

• Antiquity: Gateway to the east: the Palaspata temple and the south-eastern expansion of the Tiwanaku state

• Britannica.com: Inca

Having worked as a biomedical research assistant in labs across three countries, Jenny excels at translating complex scientific concepts – ranging from medical breakthroughs and pharmacological discoveries to the latest in nutrition – into engaging, accessible content. Her interests extend to topics such as human evolution, psychology, and quirky animal stories. When she’s not immersed in a popular science book, you’ll find her catching waves or cruising around Vancouver Island on her longboard.

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