Latest news with #Capriles
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archaeologists Found a Lost Temple From a Civilization That Vanished 1,000 Years Ago
Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: The discovery of an ancient Tiwanaku temple in Bolivia is helping researchers paint a more complete picture of what the society once looked like. The Tiwanaku civilization was considered one of the continent's most powerful civilizations at its height. It mysteriously collapsed around 1000 A.D., and was in ruins by the 15th century. Researchers discovered ancient temple ruins in modern-day Bolivia that may help us to better understand the mysterious fall of the Tiwanaku civilization—once one of the most powerful in South America. The international team of researchers scoured the Andes and found a temple complex roughly 130 miles south of Tiwanaku's established historical site on the top of a hill. In a study published in Antiquity, the team wrote that the temple discovery could provide new details about the civilization, which was one of the first in the Andes and a powerful precursor to the Inca empire—until, that is, it mysteriously vanished about a thousand years ago. 'Their society collapsed sometime around 1000 A.D. and was a ruin by the time the Incas conquered the Andes in the 15th century,' Jose Capriles, Penn State associate professor of anthropology and the study's lead author, said in a statement. 'At its peak, it boasted a highly organized societal structure, leaving behind remnants of architectural monuments like pyramids, terraced temples, and monoliths, most of which are distributed in sites around Lake Titicaca and, while we know Tiwanaku's control and influence extended much further, scholars debate how much actual control over distant places it had.' Searching over 100 miles from what was considered the center of Tiwanaku land mades sense when looking at the history, Capriles said. During the height of the civilization, the unassuming hill location on which the complex was found connected three main trade routes: from the productive highlands to the northern, the arid western, and the agriculturally rich eastern Andean valleys. Capriles said that people moved, traded, and built monuments in places of significance all throughout the arid mountain landscape. Once the team found an unmapped quadrangular plot of land, they started searching more diligently. 'Because the features are very faint, we blended various satellite images together,' Capriles said. Using photogrammetry via unmanned aerial vehicle to create a 3D approximation, the researchers spot stone alignments that revealed an ancient temple 410 feet long by 475 feet wide (roughly the size of a city block). According to the study, the site included a large, modular building with an integrated, sunken courtyard. 'The complex represents a gateway node that effectively materialized the power and influence of the Tiwanaku state,' the authors wrote. The layout also aligns with solar equinox rituals. On the ground, the team found numerous fragments of keru cups, which were used for drinking the traditional chicha (maize beer) during feasts and celebrations. The maize was not local, and was cultivated in the Cochabamba valleys to the east—not the high-altitude temple location. The find showcases the site's importance as a central hub for trade. Capriles said that the temple likely also served a religious purpose, which would have been common for the day. 'Most economic and political transactions had to be mediated through divinity, because that would be a common language that would facilitate various individuals cooperating,' he said. Ventura Guaravo—the mayor of Caracollo, where the site is located—said in a statement that the archaeological findings offer a view of local heritage that has been overlooked. The city is working with state and national authorities to ensure preservation and protection of the complex. 'With more insight into the past of this ancient site, we get a window into how people managed cooperation, and how we can materially see evidence of political and economic control,' Capriles said. 'There's still so much to discover that we don't know about, and that could be hiding in plain sight.' You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Ancient temple ruins discovered in Andes pull back curtain on lost society after 1,000 years
Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of an ancient South American temple they say has helped pull back the curtain on the workings of its enigmatic Andean civilization. Known as the Tiwanaku, the society lived in modern-day Bolivia near the southern shores of Lake Titicaca – the highest navigable lake in the world – before their mysterious disappearance more than 1,000 years ago. People had first started to live in the region around 10,000 years ago, according to University of California at Berkeley archaeologist Dr. Nicola Sharratt. As many as 20,000 people came to reside in the area. Skilled stoneworkers, the Tiwanaku were widely considered to be a precursor of the Inca empire and one of the earliest examples of civilization in the Andes mountains. 'Their society collapsed sometime around 1,000 CE and was a ruin by the time the Incas conquered the Andes in the 15th century,' José Capriles, an associate professor of anthropology at Penn State University, said in a statement. 'At its peak, it boasted a highly organized societal structure, leaving behind remnants of architectural monuments like pyramids, terraced temples and monoliths, most of which are distributed in sites around Lake Titicaca and, while we know Tiwanaku's control and influence extended much further, scholars debate how much actual control over distant places it had.' Capriles was the lead author of the international study detailing the findings published this week in the journal Antiquity. The temple is called 'Palaspata,' which was the native name for the area. Palaspata is located on a hill, approximately 130 miles to the south of the Tiwanaku's established historical site. The area was previously known to indigenous farmers, but had never been explored in depth by researchers. After noticing a strange plot of land with four sides, they turned to technology to learn more. They snapped and compiled satellite images of the site, and also took pictures using cameras aboard unmanned aerial vehicle flights. Then, they used the photos to construct a three-dimensional approximation of the Palaspata and its surrounding landscape. About the size of a city block, the complex includes 15 quadrangular enclosures arranged around a rectangular inner courtyard. Its composition, the authors said, suggested that it was used to perform rituals following the solar equinox: a bi-annual moment when the sun is positioned directly above the equator. But, it likely was not solely used for religious purposes. Much about the Tiwanaku civilization remains unknown, but Palaspata would have been in an advantageous trade spot, according to Capriles. Many people traded and built monuments throughout the mountains. This temple connected three main trade routes, including the highlands, a high-altitude plateau, and the Andean valleys of Cochabamba. 'Most economic and political transactions had to be mediated through divinity, because that would be a common language that would facilitate various individuals cooperating,' he explained. On the surface of the ruins of Palaspata, the scientists found fragments of 'keru' cups, which were used for drinking a traditional maize beer called 'chicha' during agricultural feasts and celebrations. The maize was cultivated in the Cochabamba valleys. The researchers had worked with the Bolivian Ministry of Cultures, Decolonization, and Depatriarchalization to export samples of the ruins, which were dated at the Penn State's Institute of Energy and the Environment Radiocarbon Dating Lab. The city is now working with state and national authorities to help properly protect and preserve the site. 'With more insight into the past of this ancient site, we get a window into how people managed cooperation, and how we can materially see evidence of political and economic control,' Capriles said. 'There's still so much to discover that we don't know about, and that could be hiding in plain sight. It just requires opening your eyes to see what's out there.'
Newsweek
25-06-2025
- Science
- Newsweek
Temple of Civilization That Mysteriously Vanished 1,000 Years Ago Revealed
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A newly uncovered ancient temple in the Bolivian Andes is offering archaeologists rare new insights into the Tiwanaku civilization, a once-powerful society that existed over a thousand years ago and was a precursor to the Inca empire before it mysteriously disappeared. The temple—dubbed Palaspata, after the native name for the area—is located on a hilltop in the municipality of Caracollo, near Tiwanaku's historical UNESCO site by Lake Titicaca. The spot was known to local indigenous farmers, but was never explored in depth by researchers because of its unassuming location. However, the position of the site was actually very strategic, anthropology professor José Capriles of the Pennsylvania State University said in a statement. "Their society collapsed sometime around 1000 CE and was a ruin by the time the Incas conquered the Andes in the 15th century", he said. The anthropologist explained that, at its peak, the Tiwanaku civilization boasted a highly organized societal structure and it had left behind remnants of monuments like pyramids and temples. Capriles added: "While we know Tiwanaku's control and influence extended much further, scholars debate how much actual control over distant places it had." The above image shows a digital reconstruction of the newly discovered Tiwanaku temple ruins in the Bolivian Andes. The above image shows a digital reconstruction of the newly discovered Tiwanaku temple ruins in the Bolivian Andes. José Capriles / Penn State During the time of the Tiwanaku civilization, the spot in which the newly discovered ruins were found connected three main trade routes. These included the highlands around Lake Titicaca to the north, the llama-herding plains of the Altiplano to the west and the agriculturally rich valleys of Cochabamba to the east. After noticing an unmapped plot of land in the area, researchers from Penn State University and Bolivian institutions used satellite images and 3D reconstruction techniques to create a detailed rendering of the structure and its topography. They found that Palaspata was approximately the size of a city block, and its layout was aligned to perform rituals following the solar equinox. "Most economic and political transactions had to be mediated through divinity, because that would be a common language that would facilitate various individuals cooperating," Capriles said in the study. According to the mayor of the municipality of Caracollo, Ventura Guarayo, these archaeological findings are significant because they highlight a crucial aspect of the local heritage that had been completely overlooked. "This discovery is vital for our community, and we believe its documentation will be invaluable for promoting tourism and showcasing our region's rich history" he said in a statement, adding that the city is working with state and national authorities to ensure proper protection and preservation of the site. "With more insight into the past of this ancient site, we get a window into how people managed cooperation, and how we can materially see evidence of political and economic control," Capriles added. "There's still so much to discover that we don't know about, and that could be hiding in plain sight. It just requires opening your eyes to see what's out there." While the reason behind the collapse of the Tiwanaku civilization still remains a mystery, archaeologist Luis Miguel Callisaya told the BBC that the most widespread hypothesis is an environmental crisis that led to a prolonged drought. To back this theory, scientists even found the bones of 19 women thought to have been sacrificed to the gods in exchange for rain. However, very little is still known about this ancient civilization, in fact, less than 10 percent of their ruins have to this day been excavated. Do you have a science story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about the Tiwanaku civilization? Let us know via science@ Reference Capriles, J. M., Maldonado, S. C., 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.
France 24
27-05-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Opposition boycott gifts Venezuelan ruling party absolute majority
Divisions in Venezuela 's opposition were laid bare Monday as it counted the cost of a ballot boycott that allowed authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro 's party to sweep regional and parliamentary elections. With the opposition virtually absent from the ballot, Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) romped to victory in Sunday's vote for state governors and members of the National Assembly. The party swept to victory in 23 of the South American country's 24 states, and garnered an absolute majority in parliament until 2031 with more than 80 percent of the votes cast, according to provisional results from the CNE electoral authority. Turnout was lower than for the July 2024 presidential election in which Maduro claims to have won a third successive term, but the opposition and much of the international community says he stole. 08:10 The CNE, accused of being under Maduro's thumb, put Sunday's voter participation at a little over 42 percent. The main opposition group, led by popular figurehead Maria Corina Machado, had urged voters to stay away to avoid legitimizing a vote she described as a "farce." But a smaller opposition faction, led by two-time former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, opted to participate, arguing that previous boycotts had merely allowed Maduro to tighten his grip on power. On Monday, Capriles, who won an assembly seat, lamented the landslide win for "Chavismo" -- the populist socialist movement founded by Maduro's firebrand predecessor Hugo Chavez. "This was a predictable outcome. Abstention won, and with it the regime and those who promoted it," Capriles wrote on X, thanking opposition supporters "who went against the current" by casting a ballot. Maduro's son, 35-year-old MP Nicolas Maduro Guerra, and First Lady Cilia Flores were among those to retain their assembly seats. National Assembly president and key Maduro ally Jorge Rodriguez said the ruling party's coalition won 256 out of 285 seats in parliament, although the CNE had not released its final tally of results. Dozens of arrests The run-up to the election was marked by mass arrests and a fresh crackdown on dissent. More than 70 people were arrested last week on suspicion of planning to "sabotage" the vote. They included opposition member Juan Pablo Guanipa, held on accusations of heading a "terrorist network." Venezuela's government, which frequently alleges foreign-backed, opposition-led initiatives to topple Maduro, deployed more than 400,000 armed personnel on election day. Caracas also suspended flight connections with Colombia and restricted border crossings. "This victory is the victory of peace and stability for all of Venezuela," Maduro said after the vote. "Peace, peace, peace!" Many opposition supporters said they could not countenance voting again after last July's showdown in which the CNE quickly declared Maduro the winner without releasing detailed results. The opposition published its own tally from individual polling stations, showing a convincing win for its candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. A crackdown on post-election protests left 28 dead, hundreds behind bars, and saw worldwide condemnation of alleged rights abuses and lack of transparency around the results. Machado said Sunday the opposition boycott had exposed the election as a "grand farce" and called again, in vain, on the armed forces to turn against Maduro. Writing on X, Gonzalez Urrutia, who went into exile in Spain last year, said the boycott was a "silent but resounding declaration that the desire for change, dignity and a future remains intact."
