The Kalasasaya (also: Kalassasaya; ''kala'' for ''stone''; ''saya'' or ''sayasta'' for ''standing up'') or Stopped Stones is a major

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

structure that is part of

Tiwanaku Tiwanaku ( es, Tiahuanaco or ) 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 kilo ...

, an ancient archeological complex in the Andes of western Bolivia that is designated as a

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

. The Kalasasaya is a low platform mound with a large courtyard, which is surrounded by high

stone wall Stone walls are a kind of masonry construction that has been used for thousands of years. The first stone walls were constructed by farmers and primitive people by piling loose field stones into a dry stone wall. Later, mortar and plaster ...

s. The Kalasasaya is about 120 by 130 meters in dimension and aligned to the cardinal directions. Like the other platform mounds within Tiwanaku, 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 Ashlar () is finely dressed (cut, worked) stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared, or a structure built from such stones. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally rectangular cuboid, mentioned by Vitruv ...

masonry. This wall has been reconstructed in modern times. From 1957-1960 excavations took place at the site where all 4 walls were reconstructed along with the entrance gate. The Kalasasaya dates to at least 200 BCE - 200 CE. It is located to the north of the Akapana and west of the Semi-Subterranean Temple, other structures in the complex.Browman, D. L. (1981
"New light on Andean Tiwanaku"
''New Scientist,'' vol. 69, no. 4, pp. 408-419.

References

External links

Britannica: Tiwanaku
Buildings and structures in La Paz Department (Bolivia) Tourist attractions in La Paz Department (Bolivia) 1st-millennium BC establishments Archaeological sites in Bolivia Andean civilizations World Heritage Sites in Bolivia Tiwanaku culture {{Bolivia-stub