Bolivian Pyramid Suffers Disastrous Makeover
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Structural tinkering could collapse world heritage site in horrific facelift.
One of South America’s oldest world heritage sites, the Akapana pyramid could be under threat of collapse after local authorities toyed with the structure to make it more appealable to tourists.
Situated in western Bolivia near the south-eastern shores of Lake Titicaca, the pyramid is part of the Tiwanaku ruins, an ancient historical site which even predates the famous Inca empire. The pyramid is believed to have been built somewhere between 300 and 700AD but indications the Tiwanaku civilisation are much older, originating around 1500BC.
Renovation work began on the pyramid months ago, but in an effort to make the 60 foot structure “more attractive for tourists” the makeover used a clay-based plaster called adobe rather than stone. The aesthetic may be impressive, but the weight of the remodelled structure has caused stress to the lower decks of the building which could cause the entire pyramid to collapse.
Archaeologist Jose Luis Paz said the new pyramid might look inspiring but lacks authenticity: “They decided to go freehand with the design. There are no studies showing that the walls really looked like this,” he told Reuters.
As a result of the flawed decision, Akapana risks losing its world heritage status from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The site was submitted to UNESCO in 2000 as the ruins, “bear striking witness to the power of the empire that played a leading role in the development of the Andean pre-Hispanic civilisation,” but the significant alterations could cost the pyramid dearly.
Bolivia’s culture minister, Pablo Groux told the BBC renovation work had stopped at the request of UNESCO but he dismissed allegations that the world heritage status was under threat.
The purpose of the new constructions is not to “attract tourists”, but to put into the Bolivian citizen´s mind, a supposed glory of our ancestors, that has been lost for centuries. There is no written history of Tiwanacu culture or a verbal tradition. We can only imagine by looking at the broken stones. So the government wants to make up our past, to build national pride. The problem is that by doing so, they are destroying the real traces left by our ancestors. In a few years we will not know what was real and what was made up.