Sites › South America › Pumapunku (Tiwanaku)

Pumapunku (Tiwanaku)

Location	Tiwanaku, near Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Conventional date	Construction from about the 6th century CE; Tiwanaku collapsed about 1010–1050 CE.
Alternative date proposals	Arthur Posnansky (early 20th century): About 15,000 BCE, from astronomical alignment estimates [1]
What is measured	Radiocarbon chronology; standardised block modules. [1][2]

Famous for H-shaped andesite blocks with crisp interior angles. A 3D-printed reconstruction suggests modular prefabrication.

Claims about this site

Claim	Status	Verdict
Pumapunku's precision stonework required lost advanced technology	Leading Edge	Open question on technique; dating Measured (6th–7th c. CE)

Sources

Yaeger, J. et al. (2013). A radiocarbon chronology of the Pumapunku complex and a reassessment of the development of Tiwanaku, Bolivia. In Advances in Titicaca Basin Archaeology 2. doi:10.2307/j.ctvdjrqk5.17 data
Vranich, A. (2018). Reconstructing ancient architecture at Tiwanaku, Bolivia: the potential and promise of 3D printing. Heritage Science 6. doi:10.1186/s40494-018-0231-0 data
Marsh, E. J. et al. (2023). The center cannot hold: a Bayesian chronology for the collapse of Tiwanaku. PLOS ONE 18. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0288798 data

Dates are summarised in our own words from the sources listed. Conventional and alternative dates are both reported; "measured" lists only dated or documented findings. Methodology.