1,000 years before Columbus
they were pyramid builders warriors the
architects of an empire in South America
the tihuanaco lived in the valley of
Lake Titicaca for 1500 years and then
their civilization vanished leaving
behind only stone ruins and the enduring
mystery of their passing
the centerpiece of Tiwanaku spiritual
power was the AH Capano pyramid
surrounding the pyramid cities and
temples was a vast maze of channels and
ridges though they look like irrigation
ditches they were far too complex the
mystery of their purpose is one that
archaeologist Alan colada had been
struggling to solve colada had a hunch
and a proven he asked a local farmer to
plant crops along the channel banks then
the archaeologists and the farmers led
in the water crops sprouted and began to
grow but then a tremendous frost hit the
Altiplano it devastated other fields but
the crops planted along the canals were
not affected the key to the
sophistication of these of this raised
field system are really these canals
that you see here all around me what’s
important about them is they function
like gigantic solar collectors if you
touch this water you’ll see that it’s
warm enough to bathe and it’s truly
remarkable and here we’re up at 14,000
feet and that’s really the key to this
system it really prevents frost from
damaging the crops that would be growing
up on these field platform surfaces here
the mystery was solved the tihuanaco had
found a way to control the environment
of the valley itself their canals stored
heat during the day then radiated it
over the fields at night this remarkable
system provided the wealth to build an
empire and to keep it for over a
millennium but then amid growing
political turmoil the Empire began to
decline for the Tiwanaku
it was the end but for the local farmers
it is a new beginning
secure from the frost the raised fields
proved to be seven times more productive
providing hope for a better harvest and
pride for their ancestors wisdom that
has returned
they were pyramid builders warriors the
architects of an empire in South America
the tihuanaco lived in the valley of
Lake Titicaca for 1500 years and then
their civilization vanished leaving
behind only stone ruins and the enduring
mystery of their passing
the centerpiece of Tiwanaku spiritual
power was the AH Capano pyramid
surrounding the pyramid cities and
temples was a vast maze of channels and
ridges though they look like irrigation
ditches they were far too complex the
mystery of their purpose is one that
archaeologist Alan colada had been
struggling to solve colada had a hunch
and a proven he asked a local farmer to
plant crops along the channel banks then
the archaeologists and the farmers led
in the water crops sprouted and began to
grow but then a tremendous frost hit the
Altiplano it devastated other fields but
the crops planted along the canals were
not affected the key to the
sophistication of these of this raised
field system are really these canals
that you see here all around me what’s
important about them is they function
like gigantic solar collectors if you
touch this water you’ll see that it’s
warm enough to bathe and it’s truly
remarkable and here we’re up at 14,000
feet and that’s really the key to this
system it really prevents frost from
damaging the crops that would be growing
up on these field platform surfaces here
the mystery was solved the tihuanaco had
found a way to control the environment
of the valley itself their canals stored
heat during the day then radiated it
over the fields at night this remarkable
system provided the wealth to build an
empire and to keep it for over a
millennium but then amid growing
political turmoil the Empire began to
decline for the Tiwanaku
it was the end but for the local farmers
it is a new beginning
secure from the frost the raised fields
proved to be seven times more productive
providing hope for a better harvest and
pride for their ancestors wisdom that
has returned
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