Ancient temple ruins reveal secrets of lost society

Around 1,000 years ago a South American society disappeared. Now archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient temple that they say could tell us more about this lost Andean civilization. The society, known as Tiwanaku, lived in modern day Bolivia near the southern shores of Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world (Picture: Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications)

Who were the Tiwanaku?

The Tiwanaku had first begun to live in the area around 10,000 years ago, Dr Nicola Sharratt said, who is an archaeologist at University of California at Berkeley. But around 20,000 people came to live in the area. The Tiwanaku were known as skilled stoneworkers, and were considered to be a precursor of the Inca empire and one of the earliest examples of civilization in the Andes mountains (Picture: Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications)

Lead author Dr José Capriles said: ‘Their society collapsed sometime around 1000 CE and was a ruin by the time the Incas conquered the Andes in the 15th century. 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’ (Picture: Getty)

What did the researchers find?

A team, led by researchers in Bolivia and from Penn State, have discovered a Tiwanaku temple, and say it sheds new light on what the society looked like in its prime. The temple known as ‘Palaspata’ - which was the native name for the area - is located around 130 miles south of Tiwanaku’s established historical site. It sits at the top of a hill, known to local Indigenous farmers but it was never explored in depth by researchers due to its location (Picture: Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications)

What was it used for?

The researchers say that, at the time, the Tiwanaku temple connected three main trade routes. These covered the highlands around the north, an area for herding llamas to the west, and the agriculturally productive eastern Andean valleys of Cochabamba to the east. Therefore, the researchers say the area must have some importance in connecting people. However, they also think it may have been used to perform rituals following the solar equinox: a bi-annual moment when the sun is positioned directly above the equator (Picture: Getty)

How did the researchers find it?

The researchers say they noticed a strange plot with four sides, so they turned to technology to learn more. They took and compiled satellite images of the site, and also took pictures using cameras aboard unmanned aerial vehicle flights. Then, they used the photos to construct a three-dimensional approximation of the Palaspata and its surrounding landscape. About the size of a city block, at approximately 125 meters long by 145 meters wide, the complex includes 15 quadrangular enclosures arranged around a rectangular inner courtyard (Picture: Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications)

The researchers say that the surface of the temple contained numerous fragments of keru cups, which were used for drinking chicha, a traditional maize beer, during agricultural feasts and celebrations and point to the temple's function as a central hub for trade. However, the fact that maize was not locally grown but cultivated in the Cochabamba valleys, and the high-altitude of the temple site, highlights the temple's importance in having access to various goods, including food, and connecting different culinary traditions (Picture: Cambridge University Press on behalf of Antiquity Publications)

The temple also came as a surprise to the locals. Justo Ventura Guarayo, mayor of the municipality of Caracollo, where the site is located, said: ‘The archaeological findings at Palaspata are significant because they highlight a crucial aspect of our local heritage that had been completely overlooked. 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 study was in the journal Antiquity (Picture: Getty)