Located in the southern coast of Peru, 660 meters above sea level, it is considered one of the driest places on the planet.
Nazca lines are a set of giant geoglyphs on the ground with a variety of images that vary greatly in size, shape and complexity of the figures.
The Nazca line drawings are 2000 years old approximately, made by the ancient Nazca culture in Peru that can only be seen from the air. On 1994 the lines were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site , since then it is being a must see place in Peru.
All these drawings have surprised scientist ,researchers and awoke their imagination about how did the locals did it , especially those drawings of animals, plants and anthropomorphic beings, such as birds (a condor, a hummingbird, a pelican), a monkey, a spider, a lizard, human hands.
All these drawings have surprised scientist ,researchers and awoke their imagination about how did the locals did it , especially those drawings of animals, plants and anthropomorphic beings, such as birds (a condor, a hummingbird, a pelican), a monkey, a spider, a lizard, human hands.
The Nazca Culture traced these extraordinary designs by means of grooves dug into the ground, with a depth ranging from thirty centimeters to one millimeter. The bright colors of the soil makes the drawings clearly visible from air (you need to fly around to see it). The composition of the terrain have contributed to maintain the Nazca Lines preservation in a good condition.
Nazca lines were always receiving all kinds of theories regarding their creation, such as the Swiss Erich von Däniken, who in the 1970s mentioned that these lines were landing strips for alien airships. This research is still under study and by now all possible reasons are valid.
However, the most accepted theory today is from the North American Archaeologist Johan Reinhard, who has proposed that the meaning of the lines was to invoke water through fertility rituals.
According to him, the straight lines had a ritual character and their functionality was to connect sacred spaces with the top of a mountains, where offerings were made to the gods claiming for water.
The last research done by the Nasca-Palpa Project on 1997 seems to corroborate this hypothesis, clearly describes that some lines point to the water channels and also they found Spondylus shells important religious symbol for the cultures related to fertility.
Nazca Lines are for sure an impressive Human made wonder constructed in the middle of the Peruvian dessert, It is a must seen place while you visit Peru. All its mystery, landscapes, environment get involved to provide you a fantastic and unforgettable experience.
For more information about tours to visit Nazca Lines in Peru
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