Gate of the Sun

[2] Tiwanaku is located near Lake Titicaca at about 12,549.2 ft (3,825.0 m) above sea level near La Paz, Bolivia.

Although there have been various modern interpretations of the mysterious inscriptions found on the object, the carvings that decorate the gate are believed to possess astronomical and/or astrological significance and may have served a calendrical purpose.

[5] In addition, scholars suggest that the design below the central figure is meant to represent celestial cycles.

[8] The frieze of the Gateway's front-side shows SAIS ("Southern Andean Iconographic Series") Iconography.

The spatial organization of Tiwanaku "Staff Gods" may indicate that the personages represent ritual practitioners.