On the sunny desert coastal plains of Ica (south of Lima) we can find the amazing Nazca lines! They are varied images made on the sand by the civilization of the same name (around 200 b:C until 700 a.C). Now 50 new designs have been discovered!
The Famous Drawings on the Sand
On the hot desert south of Lima, there was a major civilization called Nazca, which excelled in agriculture, hydraulics, pottery and medicine. However, they are quite well-known for the images they drew on the desert sand: gigantic designs showing spiders, monkeys, birds, fishes, whales and more. The startling detail is that those designs can only be properly seen from a plane high in the sky!
This fact sparked many theories, like they were made by extraterrestrial beings or were landing fields for alien spaceships! Archaeology traditionally posits that they appear to be religious symbols for special celebrations and the most renowned researcher on them, German mathematician Maria Reiche proposed the drawings are a large agricultural calendar (many astronomical features can be found on the designs). Now archaeologists have announced 50 new lines discovered!
New Nazca Geo-glyphes Discovered
Recently, using drones and satellite data, Peruvian and American researchers have found 50 unseen, buried patterns on those desert plains. Although most of them, following the tradition of desert civilizations, are only visible from the sky, some of them were drawn on mountain sides, so they could be spotted by the population then. Most of the visible images are warriors. In time, the sand had completely covered them, until they were rediscovered using leading-edge technology.
The National Geographic project, called GlobalXplorer and directed by Sarah Parcak, joined Peruvian archaeologists Luis Jaime Castillo and Johny Isla and shared their drone and satellite data on potential spots for new geo-glyphes with many scientists worldwide. Those locations which appeared more promising were explored on-the-ground by Castillo and Isla, and this method proved very successful.
One of the most important findings is that some of these newly found lines are actually prior to the Nazca ones, opening the way for novel interpretations of such cultural patterns, since not all of them were meant to be seen only from the sky and also that the Nazca weren’t the inventors of the technique. Researchers have now much work to do making sense of the findings.
Touring the Amazing Geo-glyphes
Actually, besides the Cusco region and Machu Picchu, the Nazca lines are a premier destination in Peru, attracting thousands of visitors from all over the world each year. They are located near a shore desert, with wonderful dunes and nice, sunny weather; the geo-glyphes are admired on professionally-guided plane tours which usually last 1 hour or so. People can watch, take pictures and film videos.
If you are coming to the Cusco region on your next vacation, TOUR IN PERU can also arrange you booking a great package to the Ica region and the amazing pre-Inca designs on the sand!
Those new lines discovered only make Peru an even better destination for having an enchanting, top vacation! Our country has amazing attractions on the desert coast, on the mighty Andean chain and the vast Amazon jungle! Please check this website for descriptions of our tours and talk to our travel experts for planning a 5-star, unforgettable vacation in Peru!