Delineating Tiwanaku's Mountain Meridian

This study unveils new perspectives on the territorial planning, orientations, and alignments of Tiwanaku’s monumental pyramid, enclosures, and semi-sunken temples, revealing a previously unexplored architectural schema. Central to this investigation is the concept of an uncharted prime meridian, or "mountain axis," which likely guided Tiwanaku’s architects, builders, and priests in aligning the city’s sacred structures with a prominent mountain summit to the south.