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What's it About
The Nazca Lines were discovered by the Western world in 1927,
but created around 300BC. They lie in the rocky Pampa San
Jose near the desert town of Nazca. Huge drawings up to
1000ft long representing animals, insects and a variety of
geometrical shapes, the Nazca Lines still challenge scientists.
Scattered over about 300 miles in just a small corner of the
desert on an arid plateau around the city of Nazca, the most
famous symbols are those of insects and man - a spider, a
monkey, a whale, a snake, a lizard, a flower, a man and 18
bird shapes, including the hummingbird and the condor. The
Nazcans were a race that preceeded the infamous Incans.
Theories
There are a lot of theories on who, why and for what reason
the Lines were constructed; some claim they were strips prepared
for aliens, others believe they were religion-based sacrifices
to the Gods. The lines are made by removing the dark pebbles
in the desert to reveal the soft yellow sands beneath. The
arid and windless conditions of the South American desert
mean that the lines have been remarkably preserved for many
centuries, in other parts of the world they would have been
destroy in a matter of years. The fact that the 'giant sketchpad'
art can only be fully appreciated from the air has led some
people to believe that the Nazcans were capable of flight.
Perhaps their art was best appreciated by the birds.
The most famous explanation is that of Ms Maria Reiche,
who believed the Lines were a kind of a huge astronomic calendar
of that period. Maria Reiche dedicated her life to this research,
moved to the area until her death in 1998, and was held responsible
for the conservation of the Nazca Lines. Thanks to her, the
Nazca Lines are now one of the most important attractions
in Peru, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Visiting Nazca
The Nazca Lines can be viewed from an observatory "mirador",
but best way to view this amazing work of art is by plane.
It costs around $60 US for a plane hire. |
