Ancient temple ruins discovered in Andes pull back curtain on lost society after 1,000 years
Newly discovered South American ruins reveal secrets of mysterious community
- Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient South American temple, named Palaspata, providing new insights into the enigmatic Tiwanaku civilisation.
- The Tiwanaku society flourished in modern-day Bolivia near Lake Titicaca over 1,000 years ago, considered a precursor to the Inca empire, before its mysterious collapse around 1,000 CE.
- Located approximately 130 miles south of the Tiwanaku’s established historical site, Palaspata was explored using satellite images and unmanned aerial vehicles to construct a three-dimensional model.
- The temple complex, about the size of a city block, is believed to have been used for rituals, particularly those following the solar equinox, and served as a vital hub connecting three main trade routes.
- This discovery, detailed in the journal Antiquity, offers a deeper understanding of the Tiwanaku’s highly organized societal structure, economic practices, and how they managed cooperation.