Positioned 130 miles southeast of Lake Titicaca, Palaspata reveals how Tiwanaku influence extended deep into the eastern Andes. Archaeologists believe it was more than a place of worship: it connected trade routes and supported ritual gatherings, reshaping assumptions about how this high-altitude empire managed its networks across some of the world’s toughest terrain.
The discovery was led by José M. Capriles, associate professor at Pennsylvania State University, who specializes in Andean archaeology and exchange systems. His team first noticed unusual rectangular patterns in satellite images, later confirmed through photogrammetry, a method that builds 3D models from aerial photography. The site had remained undocumented despite its scale, likely due to its discreet location above a valley highway and lack of prior formal surveys….
