Ancient civilizations-2

The south highlands

Large urban and ceremonial centres emerged at this time near the shores of Lake Titicaca. One site, Pucará, includes a well-built, horseshoe-shaped sanctuary of concentric walls of red sandstone enclosing a slightly sunken terrace lined with white-sandstone slabs. Within the terrace is a sunken court some 50 feet square and seven feet below the surface, also lined with white sandstone and reached by a stairway. This court contains two stone-lined grave chambers, and the outer horseshoe wall has small chambers, each containing one or two altarlike slabs in its thickness. There are also squat stone statues of men carrying trophy heads and stelae (upright sculptured slabs of stone) bearing recessed geometrical carvings and snakes. The pottery includes a reddish-buff micaceous ware painted in red, black, and yellow; cats, human or bird heads, and geometrical figures are all outlined by incision. The faces have the eyes divided vertically, one half of each eye black, the other half the natural colour of the ware. Pucará occurred early in the period, before the main development of Tiwanaku, and it may have taken shape about 400 bc. It appears to have controlled an area between the site and Lake Titicaca or farther.

Tiwanaku is a well-known ceremonial centre whose stone remains are now a tourist attraction in the Andes second in popularity only to the ruins of Machu Picchu. The occupation of the ceremonial centre is believed to have begun very early in the period, since some of the earliest pottery shows similarity to that found at Pucará.

The ceremonial buildings—whose exact age is uncertain—include a large stepped pyramid or platform called Acapana (Akapana), with foundations of buildings on the top; a semi-subterranean temple with stone heads tenoned into the walls; and a low rectangular platform called Calasasaya (Kalasasaya), enclosed by a retaining wall of upright stones alternating with smaller rectangular blocks. In one corner of the platform stands a great monolithic doorway, not in its original position, cut from a large block of lava. At the top of the doorway is carved a central low-relief figure attended by three rows of smaller winged figures that appear to run inward toward him (see photograph). The central figure, carrying staves that may represent a spear thrower and darts, has been likened to the Chavín Staff God and for convenience may be called the Doorway, or Gateway, God. Versions of the Doorway God and his attendants are found almost everywhere within the range of Tiwanaku influence in the subsequent Middle Horizon. Another feature of the site is a number of large and finely finished stone blocks with niches, doorways, and recessed geometric decorations. Tiwanaku masonry is sometimes held together by accurately cut notches, sometimes by copper clamps set in either straight or T-shaped grooves. Several massive monolithic statues have been found in and around Tiwanaku, the largest being 24 feet high. They resemble pillars bearing relief designs, and some carry beakers.

Doorway god and accompanying “angels” on the Gateway of the Sun at Tiwanaku. The main figure has been variously described as a sun god, a thunder god, or Viracocha.Georg Gerster—Rapho/Photo Researchers

Decorated Tiwanaku pottery is a finely polished polychrome, which commonly has a red slip with designs painted in various colours. Felines and hawks in profile, with eyes divided vertically into black and white halves, are common designs, as are geometric figures such as triangles and steps. Like all Tiwanaku art, the designs are stiff and formal. The shapes include a tall, graceful, hollow-sided beaker and various types of bottles and hollow-sided bowls with flat bases, including a form bearing a jaguar head and tail on the rim.