Abstract or Keywords
This study investigates the probable provenance of the volcanic stones utilized in the production of Tiwanaku stone sculptures of human-animal hybrids (chachapumas), highlighting the strategic and ideological importance of raw material acquisition during the Middle Horizon Period. The analysis indicates that the stone compositions of the chachapumas are geochemically compatible with chemical signatures from two distinct volcanic sources: basaltic rocks from the Copacabana Peninsula (Tiquina Straits) and andesitic rocks from the area between Mount Ccapia and Juli. The results support the idea that this type of sculptures was crafted using both distant materials and stones from sacred locations, suggesting the cosmological and political power of Tiwanaku as a telluric state. The research emphasizes the difficulties in identifying fine-grained volcanic rocks and the synergistic application of bivariate and multivariate statistical analysis in provenance studies. Despite analytical constraints, this work offers valuable insights into the material culture and the ideological dimensions of Tiwanaku’s expansive reach, underscoring the importance of sacred geographies in the formation of a powerful, cosmopolitan polity.