Tiahuanaco: How Did That Big Rock Get There?

The ancient megalithic city of Tiahuanaco, located south of the legendary Lake Titicaca, has kept UFO and ancient conspiracy theory buffs busy for years. It has often been referred to as the “American Stonehenge” or the “Baalbek of the New World,” and it certainly rivals those megalithic sites in terms of its massive stone monuments and advanced stoneworking technology. One gigantic dressed stone found at Tiahuanaco proves the point.

According to engineers, this stone, weighing about 400 tons, was actually transported to Tiahuanaco from a quarry more than 200 miles away. What’s more, this giant was somehow across through a mountain range with altitudes ranging up to 15,000 feet.

Like many other megalithic constructions, including both Baalbek and Stonehenge, local legends tell stories of the giants who created Tiahuanaco. The reality is probably different, but still enigmatic. How many men would it take to push a 400-ton stone up a high mountain pass? The people who built Tiahuanaco did not have the wheel, so either it was pushed and/or pulled up the mountain on great sleds, or they knew of some unknown technique which allowed them to move the great stone, along with the other gigantic monoliths found at the site. Unfortunately, the Tiahuanacans also did not have any known writing system, so there are no records to be found which might shed light on their technology.

For the moment, we can only wonder at the accomplishments of the people who built Tiahuanaco. If you’d like more information about the wonders of this magnificent city, go here