Bolivia: Archaelogists discover pre-Hispanic vessels at Tiwanaku ruins

W/S Aerial view of Kalasasaya Temple Ruins, Tiwanaku
M/S Archaeologists at excavation site
W/S Indigenous priest indicating start of excavation
M/S Archaeologists at work
M/S Vessels
SOT, Julio Condori Amaru, Director of the Project and the Centre for Archaeological Research of Tiwanaku (Spanish): "We have 15 or 16 vessels in the offering and now after we exhume these two that were at the top, we have approximately four left. One could assume that there will be more than 20 vessels. The importance of this is that it shows Kalasasaya's occupations. It gives us evidence of the rituals they performed, not only to astronomy but also to all their deities. Another most notable thing is that in their iconography they are recording everything that was flora and fauna from the region, in this case."
M/S Archaeologists at work
M/S Archaeologists at work
W/S Archaeologists at work
M/S Archaeologists extracting vessels
SOT, Ivan Ayaviri, Communications Manager of Bolivia's Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Spanish): "We are carrying out different activities aimed at protecting, promoting and conserving our archaeological heritage. In this case, in Tiwanaku, we are applying a comprehensive plan and the product of this is this finding. This plan has been worked on by Bolivian archaeologists and UNESCO. This is now in the final phase which requires financial support because of significant spending that will be done after the findings are uncovered."
W/S Archaeologists at work
M/S Archaeologists extracting vessels
W/S Archaeologists with vessels
M/S Indigenous group representatives with vessels
SCRIPT
Bolivian archaelogists extracted vessels dating back more than 400 years in Tiwanaku ruins nearly 75 kilometres from the capital, La Paz on Wednesday. The ceremony was attended by a priest and representatives from the local indigenous Aymara group.
"We have 15 or 16 vessels in the offering and now after we exhume these two that were at the top, we have approximately four left. One could assume that there will be more than 20 vessels. The importance of this is that it shows Kalasasaya's occupations. It gives us evidence of the rituals they performed," said Julio Condori Amaru, the project's director.
The vessels that are believed to be from the period between 400 and 600 BC include iconography of animals and plants.
Tiwanaku which includes the Kalasasaya archaelogical structure was one of the most important empires before the arrival of Spanish conquistadors. It was declared a UNESCO religious heritage site in 2000.