Akapana

building, Tiahuanaco, Bolivia

Also known as: Acapana

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June 18, 2026

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The Akapana Pyramid is a significant structure at the Tiwanaku archaeological site, located near Lake Titicaca in Bolivia. This pre-Columbian civilization's main site, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000, features the Akapana as a large platform mound or stepped pyramid constructed of earth and faced with cut andesite.1

Scholars suggest the earliest remains at Tiwanaku date from around 200 BCE to 200 CE, with construction continuing into the Middle Horizon (600-1000 CE). Tiwanaku influence extended across parts of modern-day Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, and Peru, largely due to its advanced agricultural system known as the raised-field system. This method utilized canals to retain heat, protecting crops from frost and providing fertilizer. The people who built Tiwanaku, referred to as Tiahuanacans, are believed to be ancestors of the present-day Aymara Indians.12

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Tiwanaku
…buildings of Tiwanaku include the Akapana Pyramid, a huge platform mound or stepped pyramid of earth faced with cut andesite; a rectangular enclosure known as the Kalasasaya, constructed of alternating tall stone columns and smaller rectangular blocks; and another enclosure known as the Palacio. A notable feature of the Kalasasaya…
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…buildings of Tiwanaku include the Akapana Pyramid, a huge platform mound or stepped pyramid of earth faced with cut andesite; a rectangular enclosure known as the Kalasasaya, constructed of alternating tall stone columns and smaller rectangular blocks; and another enclosure known as the Palacio. A notable feature of the Kalasasaya…
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pre-Columbian civilizations
The south highlands
…or platform called Acapana (Akapana), with foundations of buildings on the top; a semi-subterranean temple with stone heads tenoned into the walls; and a low rectangular platform called Calasasaya (Kalasasaya), enclosed by a retaining wall of upright stones alternating with smaller rectangular blocks. In one corner of the platform…
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…or platform called Acapana (Akapana), with foundations of buildings on the top; a semi-subterranean temple with stone heads tenoned into the walls; and a low rectangular platform called Calasasaya (Kalasasaya), enclosed by a retaining wall of upright stones alternating with smaller rectangular blocks. In one corner of the platform…
Read More