Customer Reviews

The Tiwanaku: Portrait of an Andean Civilization (Peoples of America)

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Given the raft of weirdos who over the years have chosen Tiwanaku (Tiahuanaco) for their subject, it is a welcome addition to have a serious book by a real scientist who has actually excavated at the site for several years. Tiwanaku is a favorite focus for loonies ranging from the Von Daniken "extra terrestrials are responsible for all the great human achievements of the past" school to the New Age mystic Shirley Maclain's Out on a Limb [Out of your mind!] school. While not explicitly addressing the wacko theories, Kolata's book shows how, contrary to their implicit racism, the indigenous people of the Titicaca basin were more than ingenious enough to come up with ways to contruct major monuments, carve incredible fantastic stone sculptures, and make the high arid plain of the altiplano bloom with potatoes, tubers and quinoa. These people had indoor plumbing and public sewage systems 1500 years ago! The Tiwanaku is a bit simplistic and general for the Andean or archaeological specialist; it is more appropriate for the first year University student or educated layman. Nonetheless, it brings together the current general state of knowledge about this important civilization in a highly readable fashion.