History

Bolivia had been occupied for over 2,000 years when the Aymara arrived in the region. The Aymara was a civilization situated at Tiwanaku in Western Bolivia. The capital city of Tiwanaku dates from as early as 1500 BC when it was a small agriculturally based village. The community grew to urban proportions between AD 600 and AD 800, becoming a regional power in the Southern Andes. According to early estimates the city covered approximately 5-6 square kilometers at its maximum extent and had between 15,000- 30,000 inhabitants. Around AD 400, Tiwanaku went from being a locally dominant force to a predatory state. Tiwanaku expanded its reaches into the Yungas and brought its culture and way of life to many cultures into Peru, Bolivia, and Chile.