Tiwanaku Semi-Underground Temple

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"Sunken courtyard" of the subterranean temple of Tiwanaku with recessed heads made of volcanic tufa, some of which have deformed skulls . It is usually assumed that the different minds represent different ethnic groups.

The semi-subterranean temple of Tiwanaku is a facility located within the pre-Inca ruins of Tiwanaku in the east of Kalasasaya in Bolivia . Characteristic for this construction is the symbolism of the "embedded heads" (still 175 today), which are embedded in the masonry of the "sunken courtyard". In 1932, during excavations of the semi-underground temple, the 7.3 m high Bennett monolith was discovered. The semi-underground temple of Tiwanaku belongs next to Kalasasaya, Putuni , Chunchukala, Kherikala, Kantatayita and Akapana to the seven structures of the main core of ancient Tiwanaku.

history

The semi-underground temple during the first excavations of Tiwanaku in 1903–1904

The American archaeologist Wendell Clark Bennett received approval from the Bolivian government in 1932 to carry out a series of test excavations in Tiwanaku. He carried out one of the test digs in the northern half of the semi-underground temple. Here he came across a 7.3 m high colossal statue made of red sandstone and two other smaller subsidiary steles . The colossal statue was named after him and is now known as the Bennett Monolith . It is widely believed that the statue and steles were found in their original location, and possibly even in their original location.

The semi-underground temple was completely excavated and completely reconstructed between 1960 and 1964 by the Centro de Investigaciones Arqueológicas en Tiwanaku (CIAT) under the direction of Carlos Ponce Sanginés. With one exception, the heads found by the CIAT were still in the walls or very close to the base of the walls. On the north side, a large number of heads were scattered in the courtyard, up to six meters from the wall.

architecture

According to the architectural historians Jean-Pierre Protzen and Stella Nair, the semi-underground temple of Tiwanaku shows the development from a rough work with blocks from a random range to the very smooth masonry of Akapana with tight-fitting blocks or the east wall of Putuni to the towering ( and in parts unique worldwide) Pumapunku style architecture. The structure of the courtyard of the semi-underground temple, and possibly Kantatayita and Putuni, form horizontal levels below the base level. From the inside of the semi-subterranean temple one has today an imposing view of the east entrance of Kalasasaya , however, apart from their proximity, different structures seem to have no specific relationship to one another. The semi-underground temple of Tiwanaku provides a contrast to Tiwanaku's massive, supernatural structures such as Pumapunku and Akapana. In contrast to the immaculately crafted masonry of Putuni and Pumapunku, the walls are rather simple and have heads made of volcanic tufa, none of which are the same. A total of 175 heads can still be seen today protruding from the masonry. The semi-subterranean temple served as a self-contained space that is visually linked to two of Tiwanaku's main monuments: Akapana and Kalasasaya.

investment

The semi-subterranean temple of Tiwanaku is - as the name suggests - a sunken or semi-subterranean temple that forms a rectangular "sunken courtyard". The almost square facility (26 × 28 m) is surrounded by around 2 m high walls. It is one of the oldest structures in Tiwanaku. The Tiwanaku semi-underground temple was likely built during the late Formativum. The construction is made of sandstone and is one of the most notable examples of Tiwanaku's monumental architecture, according to anthropologist Alan Kolata. A monumental staircase leads to the temple on the south side.

The semi-underground temple of Tiwanaku is smaller in size in contrast to the other monumental structures of Tiwanaku such as Pumapunku . In the masonry of the "sunken courtyard", human heads made of volcanic tufa are set in at certain points. The semi-underground temple is visually linked to the two main monuments of Tiwanaku: Akapana and Kalasasaya .

Steles

Bennett Monolith in the Tiwanaku Regional Museum

In the “sunken courtyard” of the subterranean temple of Tiwanaku, the 7.3 m tall Bennett monolith was presumably found in situ . The monolith or stele was erected in the semi-underground temple of Tiwanaku next to an older stele in the Yaya Mama style (Stele in the Yaya Mama style No. 15). John Janusek argues that monoliths were indeed the purpose of sunken courtyards: instead of just adorning these mighty rooms or making them appear more imposing, these sanctuaries were built for them as their homes.

More finds

A basalt block (46.5 cm × 16.3 cm) was discovered in the semi-underground temple , which shows typical Tiwanaku iconography , such as alternating figures with different basic symbols within a "wavy band" (today in the Museo Lítico de Tiwanaku).

gallery

  • Wall with recessed heads made of volcanic tufa

  • View over the west wall of the semi-underground temple of Tiwanaku to the figure of the Ponce monolith

  • "Sunken courtyard" with its three steles

  • "Sunken courtyard", part of a wall

  • Head relief

Web links

Commons : Tiwanaku Semi-Underground Temple  - Collection of Pictures, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Jean-Pierre Protzen, Stella Nair: The Stones of Tiahuanaco: a study of architecture and construction. (= Cotsen Institute of Archeology Press. Volume 75). 1997, p. 23.
  2. ^ Jean-Pierre Protzen, Stella Nair: The Stones of Tiahuanaco: a study of architecture and construction. (= Cotsen Institute of Archeology Press. Volume 75). 1997, p. 25.
  3. ^ Jean-Pierre Protzen, Stella Nair: The Stones of Tiahuanaco: a study of architecture and construction. (= Cotsen Institute of Archeology Press. Volume 75). 1997, p. 203.
  4. ^ Jean-Pierre Protzen, Stella Nair: The Stones of Tiahuanaco: a study of architecture and construction. (= Cotsen Institute of Archeology Press. Volume 75). 1997, p. 19.
  5. ^ Jean-Pierre Protzen, Stella Nair: The Stones of Tiahuanaco: a study of architecture and construction. (= Cotsen Institute of Archeology Press. Volume 75). 1997, p. 16.
  6. ^ Rolf Seeler: Peru and Bolivia. Indian cultures, Inca ruins and the baroque colonial splendor of the Andean states. DuMont, Cologne 2001, ISBN 3-7701-4786-3 , p. 281, ( available from Google Books).
  7. ^ Jean-Pierre Protzen, Stella Nair: The Stones of Tiahuanaco: a study of architecture and construction. (= Cotsen Institute of Archeology Press. Volume 75). 1997, p. 23.
  8. ^ Alan Kolata: The Tiwanaku: portrait of an Andean civilization. Cambridge: Blackwell (1993), ISBN 1-55786-183-8 , p. 134
  9. ↑ Antje Gunsenheimer , Ute Schüren : America before the European conquest. Frankfurt / Main: S. Fischer (2016)
  10. ↑ The term "formativum" was originally used by Gordon R. Wiley & Philip Phillips: Method and Theory in American Archeology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1958, p. 146 introduced into the terminology of ancient American archeology and denotes a period that is characterized by: “[…] the existence of agriculture or another subsistence economy of comparable effectiveness and the successful integration of a such an economy in the established, sedentary village life [...] pottery, weaving, stone cutting, and a specialized ceremonial architecture are usually associated with these American formative cultures ”. Original quote: "[...] the presence of agriculture, or any other subsistence economy of comparable effectiveness, and by the successful integration of such an economy into well-established, sedentary village life [...] Pottery-making, weaving, stone-carving, and a specialized ceremonial architecture are usually associated with these American Formative cultures. "
  11. ↑ Charles Stanish, Alexei Vranich: Visions of Tiwanaku. Institute of Archeology Press, Los Angeles (2013) Volume 78, p. 172.
  12. ^ Alan Kolata: The Tiwanaku: portrait of an Andean civilization. Cambridge: Blackwell (1993), ISBN 1-55786-183-8 , p. 134
  13. ^ Jean-Pierre Protzen, Stella Nair: The Stones of Tiahuanaco: a study of architecture and construction. Volume 75, Cotsen Institute of Archeology Press (1997), p. 23.
  14. ↑ Antje Gunsenheimer , Ute Schüren : America before the European conquest. Frankfurt / Main: S. Fischer (2016)
  15. ↑ Anna Guengerich, John W. Janúšek: The Suñawa monolith and a genre of extended arm Sculptures at Tiwanaku, Bolivia. Ñawpa Pacha (2020), p. 4.
  16. ↑ Margaret Young-Sánchez: Tiwanaku: Ancestors of the Inca. (2004), p. 75.
  17. ↑ Anna Guengerich, John W. Janúšek: The Suñawa monolith and a genre of extended arm Sculptures at Tiwanaku, Bolivia. Ñawpa Pacha (2020), p. 5.
  18. ^ Mathieu Viau-Courville: Spatial configuration in Tiwanaku art. A review of stone carved imagery and staff gods. (Boletín del Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino 2014), p. 19.

Coordinates: 16 ° 33 ′ 17.4 ″  S , 68 ° 40 ′ 20.9 ″  W.