Cancel that

Just recieved word from Clark Erickson, that the possible scenario I mentioned earlier about water being diverted by a Basque treasure hunter into the Akapana is, "Not possible. [the source] is mixing up well documented use of river water to 'mine' the site of Huaca de la Luna on the north coast of Peru."

Presentation

Yikes, we're busy scrambling to get a presentation together for later today. I'm looking forward to presenting the Akapana and our models, but I also can't wait to sleep. Whatever feedback we get from the jurors tonight we'll incorporate into the web site, which is still under construction of course.

More pics

Despite the snow, I stopped by Alexei’s place tonight to discuss the walls of the Akapana (again), and to get more photos of the site. I’m not really happy with the pictures that are available of the site in the literature and feel like I need more primary data. Along with the pictures, I also picked up a traveler’s first-hand account of the Akapana in 1911 which mentions how the locals would hold parties at the top of the structure. Combine that with the looting and other disturbances that occurred at the site (which include farmers growing potato crops on the Akapana), and I’m realizing that the structure has really been given a beating over at least the past 500 years or so.

Tunnel pics?

I asked Dr. Alexei Vranich (Director of the Tiwanaku Archaeological Project in Bolivia) if he knew anything beyond what is being publicly reported about the first item I mentioned in my last post (the newly discovered tunnels). Turns out its too new even for Alexei to have the inside scoop, but he just called researchers in Bolivia about the tunnel, and they'll be sending up pictures soon. Nice.

Current events

Again departing from structure for a bit, I decided to do a little research on current events that link to the Akapana. I decided not to focus on the obvious stuff like the solstice ceremony on June 21 since that info is easy to find. So here’s a list of random stuff I found: 1. In early October of 2005, more tunnels were discovered beneath the Akapana, and a remote-controlled camera was sent down to investigate further. The story was picked up by both regular people via blogs, as well as via the news media. Cultural significance: Show that there is still very much a spirit of discovery and excitement surrounding the site even though it’s been investigated for hundreds of years. 2. From tourist accounts in blogs, personal home pages, and travel sites, I notice that tour guides like to point out the “mysterious” magnetic fields at the site of the Akapana (nothing more than a result of some of the rocks being andesite). Cultural significance: A demonstration of how speculation can get spread around the world about the Akapana and how crazy UFO stories get started. Also shows the need for locals to keep interest in the site alive. 3. The president of Bolivia visited Tiwanaku on August 1, 2004 to kick off a new investigation of the Akapana pyramid (a 5-year project, partially funded by the government). Cultural significance: Shows that the Akapana is a national treasure. 4. UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently named Tiwanaku a World Heritage Site partly because structures like the Akapana, “are exceptional examples of the ceremonial and public architecture and art of one of the most important manifestations of the civilizations of the Andean region.” Cultural significance: Shows that the Akapana is also an international treasure.

Google Books

I figured out how to mess with Google Books, and long story short, I managed to download excerpts from18 books mentioning the Akapana. I thought it was particularly interesting that two of the books were contemporary works of fiction, one novel and one movie screenplay. Just goes to show how the Akapana is to some extent part of pop culture (or maybe just archeology pop culture, but still).

Web site

This isn’t perfectly organized, but here are some rough
notes on what I’m thinking about including in the web site we will eventually
make for the Akapana:

 

• intro/background/history/significance of akapana and the
  people visiting it (text, photos)


• talk specifically about details of the solstice, the
  alignment of akapana with the sun, any other natural phenomena


• what akapana supposedly looked like back in the day


• demonstration of the double walls and also demonstration
  that the walls have shifted slightly by nature (or maybe people)


• 3D model


• talk about the complicated waterways that are supposedly
  built into Akapana, and/or show what it would look like in the rain


• “people" the akapana; this will require some research to
  figure out what the various hypotheses are as to what the Akapana was built
  for.


• if we can, show the night sky over the Akapana and point
  out any celestial bodies (stars, planets, etc) that align with features. not
  sure if we can pull that off. leonardo benitez of penn talks about some of
  that stuff with relation to the semi-subteranean temple and the kalasasya

 

Also, below are some useful lecture notes about the Akapana
from the web site of archeologist Bruce Owen (http://bruceowen.com/andeanae/490-03f-15.htm).
My understanding is that he’s never done work on the Akapana himself, so this is
aggregated information from secondary sources:

 

Akapana "pyramid" mound

• around 200 m (about 650 feet) square
  
  
  
  • complex stepped shape in plan
  
  
  
  


• almost 17 m (55 feet) high


• stone-faced terraces with "H type" masonry
  
  
  
  • huge sandstone and andesite blocks, very well shaped
  
  
  
  


• some tennoned heads have been found in the debris of the
  upper sides, but none in place


• probably had a sunken court on top
  
  
  
  • although most of the evidence destroyed by massive
    looter's hole
  
  
  
  


• and rooms around it with cut stone wall bases (possibly
  adobe upper walls), stone thresholds, and some flat, cut stone paving
  
  
  
  • some food garbage (potatoes quinao, maize), but no
    signs of cooking
  
  
  • lots of sherds of plain and decorated serving wares
    
  
  
  • residences of people who were supplied with prepared
    food?
  
  
  • places where people were served ritually charged
    meals?
  
  
  
  


• internal drains and openings in the terraces
  
  
  
  • built of large cut stones, wildly over-engineered
  
  
  • drained the top of the Akapana, probably the sunken
    court
  
  
  • the drains run to cut-stone spouts in the terrace
    retaining walls, which would have gushed water onto the paved top surface of
    the terrace below
  
  
  • these have drains that in turn flow out from the next
    lower terrace face
  
  
  • so during a rain (or after, if the drains could be
    closed and opened by operators at the top), the Akapana mound would spout
    water from step to step
  
  
  
  


• Stairways probably at various places
  
  
  
  • at the foot of one was found a "chachapuma" sculpture
    showing a feline holding a trophy head
  
  
  • and its pedestal that would have put it at eye level
    
  
  
  • probably one on either side of the bottom of the
    staircase
  
  
  
  


• dedicatory (?) offerings
  
  
  
  • "kero smash" at foot of one of the terraces
  
  
  • numerous dismembered adult male corpses
  
  
  • not clear whether these represent one big offering
    event, or a series of events repeated over time
  
  
  
  


• Use of the Akapana
  
  
  
  • water/rain/fertility/agriculture ceremonies?
  
  
  • ceremonies involving trophy heads, human and animal
    sacrifices?
  
  
  • ritual feasting, drinking from decorated keros?