Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-27
THE WORK OF GIANTS
Ancient Bolivian Ruins of a Most
Interesting Character.
REMARKABLE MOUNDS AND WALLS
Traits of the Llama, a Strange and Useful
Beast.
4 PECULIAR MATERIAL FOR FUEL

| not bid goodby to BOLIVIA without haYin
paid some attention to an ancient town nea
the northeastern edge of Lake Titicaca
which Professor Squier has dubbed 18th
Baalbec of America" It is named III
ahuanaco pronounced Tee-ah-uha-nah-co
and is believed by some scientists to be tn,
oldest collection of ruins on the hemisphere
At any rate it proves the existence of a rae,
so far ante-dating the time of the Incas, tha
all knowledge of it was lost before th,
Spaniards came; for when the latter ques
toned the Indians Of those days about tn,
origin of these mighty monuments, they
were told that before ever the sun appeared
in the heavens, q race of giants inhabited
the earth for thousands of years; that the,
grew so numerous the gods became jealous
and turned them all into stone; and what
appear to be the remains OF huge buildings
are, in reality, some of the petrifed giantl
| themselves.
This highly interesting place may be
easily reached on horseback from ChiIilaya;
and if visited during the westward journey
from La Paz, it is best to come to the former
village day or two ahead Of the diligencia,
so as not to miss the weekly steamer and be
stranded too long on this desolate coast.
STRANGE ANCIENT RUINS.
Modern Tiahuanaco contains nothing
whatever of interest except that its church
and many of its houses are built of beauti-
| fully cut and polished stones taken from an
cient temples and palaces Even the pave
ments of its streets and the bridges over
which we pass, are set with them. The tall
stone cross in front of the church stands on
lofty pedestal that is much better wrought
than the Catholic symbol above it, and in
scribed with undecipherable hieroglyphics
perhaps to other gods. The corral where
our animals are stalled has in its adobe walls
numerous blocks of slate-colored trachyte,
with snakes, toads and other mysterious
emblems carved upon them; in short, from
time out of mind the wonderful ruins have
served as an inexhaustible quarry for the
lazy and ignorant people of the valley.
The principal ruins lie on level plain
within walking distance from the village,
and cover an area of about three miles,
There are several artificial mounds made of
earth and stone, numerous edifces, and the
remains of massive walls that probably
served as forts or Enclosures. The highest
OF the mounds was once terraced, each ter
race supported by wall of cut stone, and is
completely covered and surrounded by
ruins, with an enormous structure on top,
which modern visitors have named "The
Fortress"
Not far from this hill is the finest edi6ce
of all, so far as decoration is concerned,
now known as "The Temple" 1t is AS
feet long, 3ss feet wide, made of cut and
polished blocks Of dark basalt, each 80
inches thick. These stones are sunk into
the earth, like gate posts, nobody knows to
what depth, the parts above ground vary
ing in height from to IA feet.
STONES PINNED TOGETHER.
Those ancient architects, whoever thev
may have been, seem to have not under
stood the use of mortar, or maybe they did
not need it, being able to build SO we'll with
put. Like King Solomon's temple, the
stones were all made to fit exactly into one
another, having round holes drilled into
.he top and bottom of each, at corresponding
distances, into which bronze pins were
placed. Scattered all about are many
highly polished blocks which appear never
o have been placed in position, indicating
hat the builders were disturbed in their
york and left it incomplete.
Among the most beautifully sculptured
ind curious relics is an enormous block of
andstone, one single slab, 13 ieet inches
ong, 1S inches thick, and standing little
'ver feet above the ground-which, though
BADLY cracked (the natives say by light
,ing), Is still upright. It must be snnk
leeply into the earth. to have stood so long
Without external support; and was doubt
ess meant for a doorway, as it has a central
utting feet 6 inches high BY 2 feet 9 |
inches wide. Across the upper face above
his doorway, figures in low relief are
'arved, which closely resemble the sculpture
It Egypt, and scientists say that finer
oiece Of cutting in the same kind of stone, |
~ artisans. ancient or modern, cannot be |
ound anywhere in the world. Within the |
emple inclosure is horizontal slab, about |
4 feet square, with a deep hollow in the |
middle, cut out like square trough, which |
S supposed to have served in some of the |
ceremonies Of sun worship. The great |
emple is composed of huge blocks of red |
andstone, each IA feet long and of cor |
width and thickness, all pre- |
'isely alike and cut and
LAID WITH INCEST CARE.
This is the more remarkable, as those |
arly people must have been entirely un-
cquainted with iron and steel, and could |
ave had no mechanical apparatus for car
ying or working heavy bodies, every bit of
he labor having TO be accomplished by |
luman strength, Neither could they have |
lad any knowledge of gunpowder, or other
xplosives; but that they were familiar with
he use of bronze Is proved by the pins above
mentioned, and few weapons that have
ONE to light. From some cliffs of red sand
tone, more than Is miles away, every one
t these enormous temple blocks must have
een carried; but no basalt nor trachyte is
ound nearer than 40 miles.
There seems, besides, to have been palace.
prison, a hall of justice, and other institu-
ions, which show that the long-past race
ossessed some degree of civilization and re-
nement. None can gaze upon these monu-
,ents without being filled with wonder con-
erning the mysterious people who lived
nd died centuries before Columbus or any
ther European had sought the Western
emIsphere.
The chuno festival is participated in by
II the Indians far and near, and is q curl
us mingling Of the rites of the heather
meas and the ceremonies of the church.
'hough antedating the Christianization of
he country, it is carried on to-day under
be control of the priests who through the
80 years that have interviewed since the
onquest, have always found it expedient to
stain some traces of the ancient customs.
As in these regions Indians and llamas
re generally seen together, a description of
ne animal without melton of the other
-ould be incomplete. One who has never
zen llama can hardly form an idea of how
ne strange little creature looks, with the
cad of camel, the body of deer. the
ool of sheep, the hoofs Of a mule and the
eigh of horse. 1t is found nowhere but in
lie Andes. and is the more interesting because
is the only native domesticated animal
! South America, the OK, horse, sheep. nop
nd all others useful to man having heen |
rought originally from some other country.
is
THE ONLY BEAST OF BURDEN