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More than one hundred and five miles long and more than 13,100 feet above sea level, deep blue Lake Titicaca has been infused with the patina of traditional folklore. The lake was also the nexus point of Inca creation myths. According to the legends of the Inca, the god Vairacocha came out of Lake Titicaca in order to create both the sun and the moon, as well as, to shape humans from stone. Interestingly, the Uros people of Lake Titicaca, who now live on the floating Uros islands made from compressed layers of totora reeds, originally left the lower altitude terraces surrounding the lake in their reed boats in order to avoid interaction with tribes like the Incas. At the bottom of the lake there are stone ruins buried under six feet of sediment which contain fossils of seashells that existed prior to 12,000 BCE. The ruins, which were located about twelve miles south of the southern tip of Lake Titicaca predate the arrival of the Incas. Archaeologists believe that they were from a period thousands of years ago when there was a cataclysmic global flood and/or eruption of the Andes mountains. There is also a stone causeway at the 9,000 feet level that leads nowhere which archaeologists have conjectured once used to be at sea level and continued on until it reached the Pacific Ocean. On the slopes of the mountains that soar above the lake, there are ancient corn terraces where it can be seen that prehistoric peoples once cultivated corn both before and after the cataclysms that influenced the area, causing the Andes to rise.
Although the Peruvian-Bolivian altiplano basin in the Lake Titicaca region is
now inhabited by a large population of Aymara Indians who are subsistence
farmers, the statues and monolithic remains of Tiahuanaco bear silent testimony
to the prior existence of a technologically advanced culture in the region.
Some archaeologists think that they are the oldest ruins in the world and that Tiahuanaco was once a thriving port of call. They speculate that since the site is now about 800 feet above the edge of the lake that the waters must have dropped 800 feet and receded for about 12 miles. There seems to be common thread which links together the various Peruvian cultures with god Vairacocha and Tiahuanaco at Lake Titicaca which also borders Bolivia. Peruvian legends tell the story of a worldwide deluge in the distant past. If the remnants of a once thriving advanced civilization, possibly of either Atlantean or Lemurian origins, were inundated with flood waters many thousands of years ago, it would offer a plausible explanation for why Tiahuanaco ruins, situated at an elevation of 13,300 feet, were buried under 6 feet of earth, as well as, why even now there are stone structures under the surface of Lake Titicaca. A lot of the books and articles have been written about Atlantis, and. one of them places Atlantis on a Bolivian Altiplano. In his book Atlantis: The Andes Solution, Jim Allen explained how Plato's detailed description of Atlantis and its capital city matched a volcanic island which sank into the inland sea of Lake Poopo on the edge of the Bolivian Altiplano in South America, rather than, a continent which sank into the Atlantic Ocean. Perched on a lofty ridge that faced the crest of Mount Huayna Picchu, the Machu Picchu complex remains one of the world's most awe inspiring and mystifying ancient sites. The skill and artistry of the builders was reflected in their ability not only to cut and assemble massive stones with faultless accuracy, but, also in the way that the buildings, structures, and terraces were molded to blend in harmoniously with the contours of the land. The surrounding woods are filled with abundant flora including ferns and over ninety species of orchids. Subtropical fauna in the area include wildcats and a variety of butterflies. Adding a majestic touch of beauty to Machu Picchu, feathery mists rose from the swirling waters of the Urubamba River far below to crown the sacred site. Machu Picchu had agricultural terraces, gates, houses, main squares, stairways, storerooms, temples, water fountains, and workshops. The city was U-shaped and the main complex was divided by a grassy central plaza. The religious buildings were on the left; while, to the right were the more mundane, urban buildings.
Some of the more impressive
structures include: the Intihuatana Stone which was situated on a multi-terraced hill and was most likely an astronomical
calendar; the Temple of the Three Windows which gazed across the grassy plaza to the snow
covered peaks beyond; and the Temple of the Sun which was was built on a granite
rock and shaped to blend into its natural curves.
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Peruvian Ancient Civilization 
