Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku is an important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in Bolivia and is the first location Lara visits in Tomb Raider Legend. A pre-cursor to the perhaps better known Incan Empire, Tiwanaku centred around Lake Titicaca in the Bolivian Highlands.
Tiwanaku was not the original name that its inhabitants used for their home, but was an Aymara word for 'stone in the centre' because of the belief that the city lay in the centre of the world. However, there is no record of what the Tiwankans called themselves.
The Tiwanakan Empire covered parts of what is now western Bolivia, northern Chile and southern Peru, and grew until about the year 950 CE. After this time it began to decline in power (perhaps this point coincides with the death of the Queen of Tiwanaku in Legend). The empire disappeared around five decades later.
The Tiwanakans worshipped many gods, often centred around agriculture. One of their most important was Viracocha, a god of both creation and destruction. He created people and giants out of rock and had them build the city of Tiwanaku.
Gallery
Carven head that may have inspired the water spouts in the flooded tunnels in the Peru level.
A statue that may be familliar to the players of Legend as it resembles those featured in the Peru level.
