THE WORLD ATLAS

Empire · 500–1000 · Northern South America

Tiwanaku

Also known as Tiahuanaco Empire

Tiwanaku grew near the southern shore of Lake Titicaca, about 3,850 metres above sea level in what is now Bolivia. Settled long before, it became a major city and ceremonial centre from about 500 CE, with stone temples such as the Akapana pyramid, the Kalasasaya enclosure and the carved Gateway of the Sun.

Its farmers fed tens of thousands of people using raised fields separated by canals, which protected crops from frost, while herds of llamas and alpacas carried goods. Tiwanaku spread its influence through colonies, religion and trade across the southern Andes into Peru, Chile and Argentina, sharing a staff-god imagery with its northern neighbour Wari. After about 1000 a long drought undermined its farming, and the city was gradually abandoned.

See the map

The central figure on the Gate of the Sun at Tiwanaku, Bolivia, carved c. 500 to 1000 CE
The central figure on the Gate of the Sun at Tiwanaku, Bolivia, carved c. 500 to 1000 CE Dennis G. Jarvis · CC BY-SA 2.0
Years
500–1000
Capital
Tiwanaku, near Lake Titicaca
Greatest extent
800, about 500,000 km²
Region
Northern South America

Influence from the Titicaca basin into southern Peru, northern Chile and north-west Argentina (rough estimate)

Legacy

Tiwanaku is a symbol of indigenous Andean identity in Bolivia, and its raised-field farming has been revived by modern farmers.

Rulers

Sources