Gateway to the east: the Palaspata temple and the south-eastern expansion of the Tiwanaku state

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of the Tiwanaku state's southeastern expansion, revealing a strategic gateway complex 215km from Tiwanaku. The Palaspata temple, featuring a modular design and sunken courtyard akin to Tiwanaku terraced platforms, demonstrates significant state investment and control over inter-regional trade routes between the Andes highlands and Cochabamba's eastern valleys. This discovery suggests that the Tiwanaku state materialized its power through infrastructure, effectively managing traffic and commerce during the second half of the first millennium AD.

Capriles, J. M., Calla Maldonado, S., Calero, J. P., & Delaere, C. (2025). Gateway to the east: the Palaspata temple and the south-eastern expansion of the Tiwanaku state. Antiquity, 99(405), 831–849. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2025.59