Gateway of the Sun at Tiahuanaco

10-ton monolith originally formed from a single block of Andesite granite. It is estimated to be 14,000 years old. Its upper portion is decorated with beautiful and intricate designs, including a human figure, condors, toxodons, elephants and symbols. In the center of the gate is the so-called “Sun-god,” with rays shooting from his face in all directions.

The figures flanking the centerpiece are themselves unfinished, leading investigators to wonder what could have interrupted the craftsmen working on the gate that was left unfinished. How did this ancient monolith get broken in half, and why was it lying askew deep in silt until restored to its proper position in 1908?