Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-27
IN A STRANGE COUNTRY
A South American City Older Than
the Time of the Incas.
SOME WONDERFUL RUINS.
TiahuanacO aud It's Inhabisants-A
Straugc Festivnl-Thc Ancient Riscs
and Customs OF Ages Ago-Ths Llama
and lts Owner.
From TAI sTAa's Travelling Commissioners.

From TaI sTARs Travelling Commissioner
OK THE WING, July %. 1890.
q THE TRAVELLER should not bid good
as bye to Bolivia without having paid some
4 Hattention to an ancient town near the
ARnortheastern edge OF Lake Titicaca
which Professor Squier has dubbed 1.-The
Baalbec Of America" 1t is named Tiahuanaco
pronounced Tee-ah-uha-nah-co), and is be-
heved by some scientists to be the oldest collec-
ton Of ruins on the hemisphere. At any rate
it proves the existence Of q race so far ante
dating the time Of the incas that all knowledge
OF it was lost before the Spaniards came; for
when the latter questioned the Indians Of those
days about the origin Of these mighty monu-
ments they were told that before ever tho sun
appeared in the heavens a race o. giants in
habited the earth for thousands of years; that
they grew so numerous the gods became jeal-
Gus and turned them all to stone; and what ap-
pear to be the remains of huge buildings are
In reality. some OF the petrifed giants thom-
selves. ms highly interesting place may be
easily reached Oh horseback from Chilliaya; and
II visited during the westward journey from La
Paz II Is best To come TO the former village a
day or two ahead OF the diligencia. so as not to
miss the weekly steamer and be stranded too
long on this desolate coast
MODERN TIAuuANAco
contains nothing whatever of interest except
that its church and many Of its houses are
built OF beautifully cut and polished stones
taken from ancient temples and palaces. Even
the pavements OF its streets and the bridges
over which We pass are set with them. The
tall stone cross II front Of the church stands
On a lofty pedestal that is much better rouCht
than the Catholic symbol above it and in
scribed with undecipherable hicrogyphics-
VI har In +hnr
animals are stalled has in its adobe walls
numerous blocks of siate-colored trachyte, with
snakes, toads and other mysterious cmbIems
carved upon them; in short. from time ont of
mlno the wonderful ruins have served as an in
eXhaustlbls quarry for tho law and ignorant
people Of the valley The principal ruins lie
on level plain within walking distance from
the village and cover nm area of about three
miles. There are several artificial nonnds
made OF earth and stones. numerous edifices
and the remains of massive walls that probably
served as forts or Enclosures. Tie highest of
:he mounds was once terraced each terrace
supported by wall OF cut stone. and is COM
pletely covered and surrounded by ruins with
an enormous structure on top. which modern
visitors nave named The Fortress"
THE TEMPLE.
Not far from this hill is the finest edifice of
all, SO far as decoration is concerned. now
known as "The Temple" It is AS feet long,
1888 feet wide, made of cut and polished blocks
of dark basalt each 80 inches thick These
stones ere sunk into the earth like gate posts,
nobody knows to what depth, the parts above
ground varying III height from 8 to IA feet
Those ancient architects, whoever they may
have been. seem to have not understood the
use OF mortar, or maybe they did not need it,
being able to build so well without. Like
hing Solomons temple, the stones were all
made to fit exactly into one another having
round holes drilled into the top and bottom
OF each at corresponding distances, into which
bronze pins were placed. Scattered all about
are many highly polished blocks which APP
pear never to have been placed in position ill.,
dcating that the builders were disturbed in
their work and left it incomplete.
sCULPTURED RELICS.
Among the most beautiful sculptured and
curious relics is an enormous block Of sand
stone. one single slab, 10 feet inches long, 10
inches thick and standing a little over seven
feet above the ground-which. though badly
cracked (the natives say by lightning), is still
upright. Ii must be sunk deeply into the earth.
to have stood so long without external support
and was doubtless meant for doorway as it
has central cutting feet inches high by 2
feet 8 inches wide. Across the upper face
above this doorway figures in low relief are
carved, which closely esemblo the sculpture of
Egypt. and scientists say that finer piece OF
cutting in the same kind of stone, by artisans.
in the world.
Within the temple Enclosure is a horizontal
slab. about IA feet square, with q deep hollow
In the middle. cut out like square trough.
which is supposed to have served in some of
TIE ceremonies OF sun worship. The great
temple Is composed OF huge blocks Of red sand
stone, each IA feet long and of corresponding
width and thickness, all precisely alike. cut and
laid with incest care. This is the more re-
markable, as those early people must have
been entirely unacQuainted with iron and steel,
and could have had no mechanical apparatus
for carrying or working heavy bodies, every bit
or the labor having to be accomplished by
human strength. Neither could they have had
any knowledge of gun powder or other ex-
plosives, but that they were familiar with the
use OF bronze Is proved by the pins above
and few weapons that have come
to light. From some cliffs of red sand stone.
more than fifteen miles away, every one of
these enormous temple blocks must have been
carried, but no basalt or trachyts is found
nearer than forty miles.
EVIDENCES OF CIVILIZATION.
There seems, besides, to have been a palace.
a prison, hall of justice and other institu-
tions, which show that the long past race pos
sessed some degree of civilization and refine
ment. None can gaze upon these monuments
without being filled with wonder concerning
the mysterious people who lived and died CEN
had sought the western hemisphere. 1t does
not need mighty stretch of Imagination to
rebuild these fallen walls and repeople them
with dark-skinncd men and women, going
ABOUT their daily avocatons. worshiping the
sun god with barbarous rites IN the great
temple. or toiling up the terraced mound to
look out from its fortress for the foreign foes
who seem to have come at length and con-
qusred them. Dig as You may. not q trace of
grave or sepulcher can be found. and the SUD-
position Is that the early Tiahuanacans either
Ned from their walled city or were driven from
1t by invaders. The stupid neighbors OF today
nave no hints or suggestions to offer; neither
history nor tradition throws any light on the
subject--the arch@ologist can only turn away
with burning curiosity unsatisfied
THE POTATO FESTIVAL.
Prof Squier tells us that he happened to
visit Tiahuanaco during the annual chuno (po-
tato) festival of the modern Indans-that veg
etGblc, as all the world knows being indigo
nous to this portion of South America, though
1t has been vastly improved in some of the
to which it has been transplanted
He says that the people were dancing i'll the
public square, in front of the cathedral to the
music of drums and tambournes, and were
wearing enormous headdresses resembling
made mostly of feathers wrought
into the form of flowers. Each group of men
was accompanied by number OF female dan
GERS, the latter wearing hats with wide, stiff
brims, the crowns SURF ounded BY fan-like rep
reservations Of the rising sun, set with small
looking glasses and tipped with clusters of
feather flowers. All the women wore sky-blue
dresses and over the left shoulder Of each was
AL - L.,