Tiwanaku (Spanish: Tiahuanaco or Tiahuanacu) is a Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, near Lake Titicaca, about 70 kilometers from La Paz, and it is one of the largest sites in South America. Surface remains currently cover around 4 square kilometers and include decorated ceramics, monumental structures, and megalithic blocks.

Tenon heads in a wall of the Semi-subterranean Court, Tiwanaku, Bolivia, 300–400 C.E. (photo: Phil, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

This sunken court can be reached by a monumental staircase through an opening in its eastern wall. The walls are composed of sandstone pillars that alternated with sections of smaller blocks of Ashlar masonry and incorporates tenon heads of many different styles.

2019年7月2日 · An outstanding feature of the Kalasasaya Temple are the tenon heads in diverse styles that run along the outer walls, reconstructed in modern times at the sacred site. The heads may have represented the many communities the Tiwanaku empire colonized.

2021年3月22日 · The walls surrounding the Semi-submerged Temple include 57 carved stone pillars and 175 human heads carved out of stone and set into the walls. According to a sign at the site, all but six of these heads are believed to be original.

The taking of trophy heads was an important politico-religious act among the Tiwanaku and Wari peoples, whose emergence as dominant societies defines the Middle Horizon. Trophy heads frequently adorn the walls of public buildings at Tiwanaku, and they often take the form of drinking vessels, as in this example.

This megalithic doorway is all that remains of the walls of a building on a small mound near the Kalasasaya. Much of the readily accessible masonry at the ruin was used to construct the Catholic church in the village. A nearby railroad bridge also has Tiwanaku stone.

The statue in the center of the Kalasasaya doorway is depicted below. Like the Kalasasaya mound, the Sunken Courtyard is walled by standing stones and masonry infill. In this case the stones are smaller and sculptured heads are inset in the walls.

2016年11月28日 · Today, a staircase with sculptures is present on its western site and the latest studies have shown that it is a man-made earthen mound, faced with a mixture of large and small stone blocks. Tenon heads on the walls. Photo Credit.

2014年3月16日 · One of the sandstone interior walls from the Semi-Subterranean Temple court at Tiwanaku, Bolivia, c. 300 CE. The sunken court was reserved for more select religious ceremonies and the stone heads suggest those involving human sacrifice. The court measures 28.5 x 26 metres.