Archaeologists have unearthed a previously unknown temple complex in Bolivia, belonging to the Tiwanaku civilization, one of South America’s oldest and most influential ancient cultures. The temple, built on a hill in the Caracollo municipality, approximately 215 km (130 miles) southeast of the main site at Tiwanaku near Lake Titicaca, was recently unearthed by a team of researchers led by José Capriles, an associate professor of anthropology at Penn State, in collaboration with Bolivian partners.
Called Palaspata, named after the local Indigenous area, the complex had been locally familiar to farmers for decades but had never before been comprehensively studied. Using satellite imagery, drone aerial photography, and photogrammetry, the team identified faint surface features that suggested the presence of a terraced ceremonial structure. As described in research published June 24 in Antiquity, the site is about 125 by 145 meters in size—about the size of a city block—and contains 15 rectangular enclosures that are organized around a central sunken courtyard.
According to the researchers, at the time of Tiwanaku, the site connected three main trade routes spanning three vastly different ecosystems: the productive highlands around Lake Titicaca to the north, the arid Altiplano ideal for herding llamas to the west, and the agriculturally productive eastern Andean valleys of Cochabamba to the east.
The temple’s architecture is comparable to known Tiwanaku structures and is most likely aligned with the solar equinox. Excavation revealed numerous fragments of kerus (ceremonial cups), which were traditionally used to drink chicha, a fermented maize beverage. Maize is not cultivated at high altitudes, and thus its presence indicates long-distance exchange, further emphasizing the site’s role as a connector between different regions.
Capriles explained that in Tiwanaku society, economic and political activities were often mediated through religious practices. “Divinity was a common language that would facilitate various individuals cooperating,” he said.
The discovery lends physical evidence to long-standing theories regarding Tiwanaku’s influence beyond its core territory. There has been debate among scholars regarding the extent of the civilization’s power, but Palaspata now offers definitive proof of state-level investment in peripheral infrastructure.
The finding is also important on a local level. “This discovery is vital for our community,” said Justo Ventura Guarayo, mayor of Caracollo. “It highlights a crucial aspect of our local heritage that had been completely overlooked. We believe its documentation will be invaluable for promoting tourism and showcasing our region’s rich history.”
Together with the Ministry of Culture, Depatriarchalization, and Decolonization in Bolivia, researchers have sent samples to be radiocarbon dated, which were analyzed at Penn State’s Institute for Energy and the Environment. Further studies will be conducted to determine the temple’s precise age and its position in relation to other Tiwanaku ceremonial sites.
