Tiahuanaco, the centre of a civilization that flourished from around 400 BC, is located on the Tiahuanaco River at a height of mor than 4,000 m some 25 m from the shores of Lake Titicaca. Its public buildings were constructed with stone blocks that weighed up to 100 tons.
Most of the ruined buildings seen today were erected between 500 AD and 1000. At its height Tiahuanaco was a bustling metropolis supported by a unique system of agriculture that consisted of raised planting surfaces separated by small irrigation canals. The water held in the canals prevented heavy frost during the nights and allowed planting of crops early in the year.
The Kalasasaya, a rectangular enclosure overseen by a statue of a staff-carrying dorway god.
Thre of the many heads sunk into the wall of the Kalasasaya.