‘Unprecedented,’ massive site — linked to ancient cult — found in Bolivia. Take a look

Aspen Pflughoeft
Updated ·2 min read
43

Along a chilly and empty plateau of Bolivia, hundreds of ring-like structures dot the hilltops. The structures — formed by concentric circles and visible by satellite — follow a fairly consistent pattern. Except for one.

Archaeologists found 135 of these circular structures in Carangas, an arid region on a plateau of the Andes mountains, according to a study published April 11 in the journal Antiquity.

The structures had anywhere from two to nine “concentric walls” at different terrace levels around the hilltop, researchers wrote. Scattered around the sites, archaeologists found fragments of pottery bowls, jars and plates dating from 1250 to 1600 A.D.

The circular structures were used as religious spaces and created a “dense ritual landscape,” the study said.

Some of the ceremonial sites as seen from above.
Some of the ceremonial sites as seen from above.

Archaeologists linked the sites “both to ancient Andean cults of wak’a,” which worshiped “sacred mountains” and protective hills, and Incan settlements. The harsh landscape of the arid Andean plain may have contributed to the density of ceremonial sites, the study said.

Wak’a, also spelled huaca, is a religious concept from ancient Incan culture, according to Britannica. The word refers to spirits that were believed to live within or physically take the form of “waterfalls, mountains, or man-made shrines,” per Britannica.

The concentric circles of ceremonial sites as seen from above.
The concentric circles of ceremonial sites as seen from above.

Of these religious sites, researchers found one structure that stood out as “completely different” from the rest: the Waskiri site.

The “unprecedented,” massive site, pictured above, had an unusual design, researchers said. The site had an outer ring with 39 connected enclosures all about the same size and a central inner plaza filled with broken ceramics dating back over 400 years. This main structure was about 460 feet in diameter.

Two other structures — both smaller and circular — were located nearby, the study said.

Although differing from other ceremonial sites, the Waskiri site had symbolic elements from Incan culture in the circular design and arrangement of the 39 enclosures, the study said. Additionally, several sacred mountain sites can be seen from Waskiri, photos show.

Based on this analysis, archaeologists think this site was a “neutral or common space” for authorities to gather and served as “a regional ceremonial centre.”

Further research on the area’s pre-Hispanic history is needed to understand more about these ritual sites, the study said.

Carangas is in western Bolivia, about 190 miles south of La Paz, the country’s capital, and near the Bolivia-Chile border.

1,100-year-old monument to Mayan ball game found buried at iconic Mexican pyramid

Colorful mosaics uncovered in underwater Roman spa puzzle experts. Take a look

‘Rare’ Roman-era settlement — full of pottery and stone tools — unearthed in England