
Tiwanaku (also spelled Tiahuanaco) was a pre-Columbian civilization based near the southern shore of Lake Titicaca in present-day Bolivia, flourishing from roughly 500 to 1000 CE. As one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire, Tiwanaku developed a distinctive artistic style characterized by geometric precision and monumental stone carving.
The site's most famous sculpture is the Gateway of the Sun, carved from a single block of andesite and decorated with the Staff God (Viracocha) surrounded by running winged figures. Tiwanaku stone sculptures of standing figures with blocky proportions and elaborate headdresses influenced art across the central Andes for centuries. The site became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
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