Bennett Monolith, Stone sculpture at Regional Archaeological Museum of Tiwanaku, Bolivia

The Bennett Monolith is a stone sculpture at the Regional Archaeological Museum of Tiwanaku in Bolivia, carved from a single block of sandstone. The monument stands around 24 feet (7.3 m) tall, about 4 feet (1.2 m) wide, and weighs roughly 20 tons.

American archaeologist Wendell Bennett found this stone figure in June 1932 in an underground temple at the ruins of Tiwanaku. It stood in La Paz for several decades before being brought back to Tiwanaku in 2002.

The figure is also called the Pachamama Stele, linking it to the Andean earth and fertility deity, and it holds a conical ceremonial quero cup and a snuff tablet. On its lower part, 364 concentric circles are said to represent the days of the year, plus one for the day dedicated to this divinity.

The monument stands in the Regional Archaeological Museum, where you can examine the stone surface and carved signs up close. Visitors should allow enough time to see the many details on the front and back sides.

This sculpture is the largest stone figure ever found at Tiwanaku and shows a person who may have held a leadership role. Its weight and size make the transport from the underground temple a notable achievement.