71 kilometers (44 miles) from the city of La Paz are the thousands of years old ruins of Tiawanaku, mute witnesses of one of the most amazing civilizations of humanity. Over the past few weeks, excavations were recommenced on the Alkapana pyramid which together with the other remains of the Kalasasaya Palace, the Doorway of the Sun, and the semi-subterranean Temple form part of the ancient pre-Inca capital of the vast Tiawanaku empire.

In May 2004, archeologists from the National Archeological Directorate (DINAR) of the Vice Ministry of Culture, together with workers from the communities started the fascinating task to reveal the mysteries contained in the ruins. The pyramid continues to be an incognito and the excavations will permit us to unveil its mysteries.

During the first phase, human remains were found that are under investigation to determine whether Akapana was a cemetery for notable persons or a place where sacrifices were performed.

“Five years ago Chachapuma was discovered in the eastern section and today, pumas have also been found at the exit to Pariti.  The puma man carries a human body in his arms and appears to be a god related to sacrifices and the reason for the hypothesis that  Akapana could be place dedicated to the god Chachapuma,” explained the Vice Minister of Culture Fernando Cajias.

The second phase of excavations at the ruins commenced, as a part of the “Culture for Development” program supported by Ministry of Economic Development and financially and technically supported by the Andean Development Corporation and the Bolivian Cement Company.

The authorities of the local original peoples wearing multicolored ponchos and in their gala clothing thanked the government and the financial institutions for supporting this archeological work that in the future would generate tourism and employment for the community.

The Mayor, Lino Condori expressed the joy of his people the “contemporary Tiwanakus” that would shortly be able to promote tourism for one of the most valuable ruins of the Tiwanaku period.

On his part, the cement industrialist Samuel Doria Medina praised the importance that government authorities were giving the project and he announced that it was hopeful that it would be possible to excavate 1,500 meters this year by increasing the financing from US$ 40,000 in the past year, to US$100,000 for the second phase.

“There are US 100,000 to accelerate the excavation which when terminated it will be possible to appreciate a good part of the pyramid”, declared Doria medina when emphasizing that the Tiwanaku project Culture for Development formed part of the Viacha-Tiwanaku-Lake Titicaca circuit.

“This project is very important for CAF (Andean Development Corporation) and the region as it represents a vision of the country’s development that includes respect and recovery of the cultural and national values” declared the representative of the President of the Andean Development Corporation (CAF), Jose Carreras adding that the CAF President Enrique Garcia had expressed his desire that in the future, Tiwanaku would become a center for national and international cultural and tourist development.