La Paz & Around - Bolivia - page 150

flat summit is an oval-shaped sunken area, which some sources attribute to early, haphaz-
ard, Spanish excavation. The presence of a stone drain in the center, however, has led
some archaeologists to believe it was used for water storage. In the past few years,
though, archaeologists have changed their minds. Recent findings include craniums, as-
sumed to be war trophies, leading archaeologists to believe the pyramid was, in fact, a ce-
remonial temple.
North of the pyramid is Kalasasaya , a partially reconstructed 130m-by-120m ritual-
platform compound with walls constructed of huge blocks of red sandstone and andesite.
The blocks are precisely fitted to form a platform base 3m high. Monolithic uprights flank
the massive entrance steps up to the restored portico of the enclosure, beyond which is an
interior courtyard and the ruins of priests' quarters. Note the size of the top stair - a
massive single block. The Monolito Ponce monolith, with his turban (no doubt covering
up his deformed cranium), mask, ceremonial vase and walking stick, sits at the center of
the first platform. Some say the stick and the vase are symbolic of the dualism of Andean
culture (nature versus nurture).
Other stairways lead to secondary platforms, where there are other monoliths including
the famous El Fraile (priest). At the far northwest corner of Kalasasaya is Tiwanaku's
best-known structure, the Puerta del Sol (Gateway of the Sun). This megalithic gateway
was carved from a single block of andesite, and archaeologists assume that it was associ-
ated in some way with the sun deity. The surface of this fine-grained, gray volcanic rock
is ornamented with low-relief designs on one side and a row of four deep niches on the
other. The gateway was most likely originally located in the center of Kalasasaya Platform
and was used as a calendar, with the sun striking specific figures on the solstice and equi-
nox. The structure is estimated to weigh at least 44 tons.
There's a smaller, similar gateway carved with zoomorphic designs near the western
end of the site that is informally known as the Puerta de la Luna (Gateway of the Moon).
East of the main entrance to Kalasasaya, a stairway leads down into the Templete
Semisubterráneo , an acoustic, red sandstone pit structure measuring 26m by 28m, with a
rectangular sunken courtyard and walls adorned with 175 crudely carved stone faces. In
the 1960s archaeologists tried to rebuild these and used cement between the stones.
West of Kalasasaya is a 55m-by-60m rectangular area known as Putuni or Palacio de
los Sarcófagos (The Palace of the Sarcophagi). It is surrounded by double walls and you
can see the foundations of several tombs. About 90% of the artifacts collected by amateur
enthusiast Fritz Buck in the early 20th century from these tombs are found in La Paz'
Museo de Metales Preciosos ( Click here ) .
The heap of rubble at the eastern end of the site is known as Kantatayita . Archaeolo-
gists are still trying to deduce some sort of meaningful plan from these well-carved slabs;