Here in the northeastern shores of Lake Titicaca, the Pukara culture established themselves 1500 years before Christ. The Tiwanaku culture then arrived on the scene around 400 A.D. Sillustani was an ancient sacred site that was used as a place of worship, burial, and sacrifice for thousands of years. About 20 miles inland from Lake Titicaca, Sillustani sits high on the shores of the beautiful Umayo lagoon. The Pukara culture first established the hilltop as a sacred burial site, and each conquering culture since (until the Spaniards arrived) continued the practice. The main role of the special site was to worship the Mallku (deceased chiefs), with the construction of great chullpas (tombs). The Pukara and the Tiwanaku built stone tunnels and underground tombs.