Kalasasaya

Temple of Kalassasaya

The Kalasasaya (kala for stone; saya or sayasta for standing up) or Stopped Stones is a major archaeological structure that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tiwanaku. The Kalasasaya is low platform mound with a large courtyard that is surrounded by high stone walls. The Kalasasaya is about 120 by 130 meters in dimension and aligned to the cardinal directions. Like the other platform mounds within Tiwanaka, it has a central sunken court. 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. This wall, as it currently stands, has been reconstructed in modern times. The Kalasasaya dates back to at least 200 BCE - 200 CE. It is located to the north of the Akapana and west of the Semi-Subterranean Temple.[1][2]

References

  1. ↑ Kolata, Alan L. (1993). The Tiwanaku: Portrait of an Andean Civilization. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-55786-183-2.
  2. ↑ Browman, D. L. (1981) "New light on Andean Tiwanaku". New Scientist. vol. 69, no. 4, pp. 408-419.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kalasasaya.

Coordinates: 16°33′18″S 68°40′25″W / 16.555°S 68.6736°W / -16.555; -68.6736

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, June 03, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.