TheKalasasaya (also: Kalassasaya;kala forstone;saya orsayasta forstanding up) orStopped Stones is a majorarchaeological structure that is part ofTiwanaku, an ancient archeological complex in the Andes of western Bolivia that is designated as aUNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Kalasasaya is a low platform mound with a large courtyard, which is surrounded by highstone walls. The Kalasasaya is about 120 by 130 meters in dimension and aligned to the cardinal directions. Like the other platform mounds within Tiwanaku, it has a central sunken court. This sunken court can be reached by a monumental staircase through an opening in its eastern wall. The walls are composed of sandstone pillars that alternated with sections of smaller blocks ofAshlar masonry. This wall has been reconstructed in modern times. From 1957-1960 excavations took place at the site where all 4 walls were reconstructed along with the entrance gate. ThePonce Monolith is found within the Kalasasaya courtyard.
The Kalasasaya dates to at least 200 BCE - 200 CE. It is located to the north of theAkapana and west of the Semi-Subterranean Temple, other structures in the complex.[1][2]
The area between the Kalasasaya complex and thePumapunku complex a kilometre away was surveyed around 2007 using ground-penetrating radar, magnetometry, induced electrical conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility. The geophysical data collected from these surveys and excavations indicate the presence of numerous man-made structures in the area between the Pumapunku and Kalasasaya complexes. These structures include the wall foundations of buildings and compounds, water conduits, pool-like features, revetments, terraces, residential compounds, and widespread gravel pavements, all of which are buried and hidden beneath the modern ground surface.[3][4]
16°33′18″S68°40′25″W / 16.555°S 68.6736°W /-16.555; -68.6736
