NAZCA LINES: DISCOVERY, HISTORY AND HOW THEY WERE MADE - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Nazca lines are ancient geoglyphs located in the Peruvian department of Ica, which were traced by the pre-Columbian Nazca culture developed in that area between the 1st and 7th centuries AD. This culture stood out for its biomorphic representations carved both in ceramics and in rocks and soils.

The desert plains -also known as pampas- located in the cities of Nazca and Palpa have been recognized worldwide for their great concentration of figures and lines on the desert surfaces; These manifestations have received the technical name of geoglyphs (figures built on plains or slopes).

The Nazca lines are ancient geoglyphs located in the Peruvian department of Ica, which were traced by the pre-Columbian Nazca culture. Source: Diego Delso (public domain)

These lines represent plants and animals, as well as various geometric shapes such as spirals, zigzags, trapezoids, and triangles. As for its size, it is usually varied. However, many of the lines are so large that they cannot be fully appreciated from the ground.

Although the Nazca geoglyphs are one of the most important pre-Hispanic representations, they are not the only traces recorded on the Andean coast. In fact, only in the Peruvian coasts up to 40 places with geoglyphs have been found; This indicates that the use of these manifestations was a very common and highly diffused practice among ancient Andean cultures.

The drawings have been kept in good condition due to the extreme aridity of the area. However, according to the affirmation of Jaroslav Klokoeník in his text The Geoglyphs of Nazca, Peru (nd) some paths were lost due to the passage of passers-by and tourists. In addition, the lines have also lost some of their beauty thanks to the oxidation process of the desert surface.

Currently, the Nazca lines are considered as Cultural Heritage of Humanity -proclaimed thus by UNESCO-and are protected by Peruvian legislation, which is responsible for restricting the entry of people in order to avoid the deterioration or alteration of the forms.

Discovery and history

In 1884, the researcher Max Uhle dedicated himself to observing a series of ceramics from South America dating from pre-Columbian times; This was the beginning of Uhle's interest in ancient Andean civilizations, which motivated him to travel to Bolivia and Peru to specialize in the archeology of the area.

Uhle was a pioneer in the application of scientific methods during the excavations and documentation that were carried out in the places where the ceramics came from. In this way, the studies on the Andean past carried out by Uhle opened the doors for the investigations on the Nazca culture to continue in the following years.

For example, Julio C. Tello in 1915 discovered, through his research, that there was a people prior to the Nazca culture, nicknamed the Paracas.

The Nazca culture: life in the valley

Studies to date the Nazca culture began at the beginning of the 20th century. From that moment on, it was established that this culture originated around 200 BC. C, and was preceded by the Paracas culture between the years 800-200 BC. C.

The experts managed to agree that within the Nazca culture there were some transition periods influenced by other cultures, these being: Early Nazca (50-300 AD), Middle Nasza (300-450 AD) and Late Nazca (450-650 AD).

In addition, the researchers affirm that the Nazca culture was not the result of the migration of other neighboring peoples, but rather it was the culmination of an extensive cultural process developed throughout the Andean area.

The nucleus of this culture was located in the Palpa and Nazca valleys, in the Rio Grande basin. However, recent research determines that the Nazca extended much further east, because they were a coastal culture.

The Nazca area is desert; in fact, it coincides with the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places in the world.

Consequently, it can be established that the topography of the area is characterized by having two landscapes: on the one hand, extensive plains with sedimentary elements; on the other, some valleys of fertile lands that function as an oasis within those arid territories.

Through the bones found, scholars have determined that the Nazcas had quite good health, however, most died of diseases such as cavities or tuberculosis. Despite being in good health, life expectancy was very short, so they were almost never over forty.

The tombs found have different qualities and quantities of offerings, which allows us to affirm that this culture had a solid social differentiation. Likewise, this town did not build any type of wall or protection, so it follows that they lived peacefully. Their houses were made mainly of quincha, reeds and wood.

The sacred landscapes

In 1930, the first commercial flights left for Peru. From the planes, the passengers began to discover mysterious shapes that constituted dogs, monkeys, hummingbirds, among other elements. From this moment the mystery of the Nazca lines was born, which later became a very attractive tourist destination.

Before the arrival of the planes, there were already records of the lines. For example, during the 16th century some chroniclers mentioned its existence. In 1926, the archaeologists Julio C. Tello, Toribio Mejía Xesspe and Alfred Kroeber carried out the first studies, but they were more interested in the excavation of cemeteries than in the geoglyphs.

Consequently, thanks to the first commercial flights, specialized studies on the lines arose. Maria Reiche was an important archaeologist who first drew a complete map of the geoglyphs, something that she achieved after decades of work.

Thanks to it, it is known that there are a thousand geoglyphs spread over an area of ​​more than 500 square kilometers. Furthermore, it could be established that the lines were carved between 840 BC. Until 600 d. C., so it is still surprising that the figures are in good condition, except for those that were destroyed by humans.

Other information about the geoglyphs

The geoglyphs have been preserved thanks to the low humidity of the desert, which produces little erosion of the land. The sandstorms have not been negative either, since they clean and carry away the sand that is deposited on the stones; they even make the geoglyphs look better.

The first geoglyphs built (800-200 BC) were characterized by being figurative drawings of humans, animals and supernatural beings. Many of them were drawn on the sloping slopes, which is why some associate these manifestations with rock art.

For this reason, it is assumed that the first ceremonial activities carried out with ceramic offerings were carried out at a distance, from a place where the geoglyphs could be seen in their entirety.

Around 260 a. C., the ceremonial activities began to take place above the lines. For this reason, the researchers found ceramic fragments on the geoglyphs. In addition, the base of the figures is compacted, so it is believed that frequently walking tours were made over the figures.

At the end of this period (260-300 AD), there was a progressive abandonment of the use of the lines, specifically in the north. However, in the Late Intermediate period (1000-1400 AD) the use of geoglyphs was resumed, especially those that were connected to radial centers.

These figures were probably used as a kind of path that held the northern area together with the southern area. In the north, remains of houses built on top of the lines themselves were found, which may indicate that at that time they were no longer given much importance.

Location

The area covered by the geoglyphs is very extensive; the thousands of lines occupy about 520 square kilometers, although some extend up to 800 square kilometers. As for their length, they can measure up to 275 meters.

Specifically, the lines are 450 kilometers from Lima and are close to the Pacific Ocean. As mentioned in previous paragraphs, these manifestations are between the Nazca and Palpa pampas, therefore they cover the entire Socos pampas.

The lines were captured in a reddish earth that turns purple when dusk falls. In the surroundings, there are a couple of hills that function as a natural theater.

How were the Nazca lines made?

Techniques used

Currently, it can be stated that the designs were made from two simple techniques. The first consists of the removal of the surface level of the desert soil, covered with rusty stones. This allows the underlying chalky ground to be visible and much clearer.

This technique is known as "sgraffito" or "negative technique" and is a selective scraping of the desert surface. The second technique is called "positive" and consisted of the formation and stacking of a set of stones in the contour of the drawings. In this method, light and dark stones were used, in contrast to the reddish color of the desert.

Both techniques can appear combined in many of the geoglyphs, however, in most of the figures sgraffito predominates.

Elaboration reason

As mentioned above, researchers have been able to establish who built the geoglyphs and when they did.

The archaeological studies carried out in Nazca identified a long cultural sequence, however, the geoglyphs are related to the Nazca and Paracas cultures. In addition, it is known that they were made approximately between 600 BC and 1200 AD.

On the other hand, the motive of these cultures to make the geoglyphs is still a matter of debate for researchers. There are about twenty theories in the scientific literature on this subject; even pseudoscientific theories have been raised.

The strange figures of Nazca have given rise to pseudoscientific theories. Source: Diego Delso (public domain).

The author Jaroslav Klokoeník, through a historical review of scientific research on Nazca, managed to establish that the most complete theories are those that understand the problem of lines from a holistic perspective, which is necessary to approach the phenomenon through the context of the ancient cultures that created them.

Therefore, the best explanation consists of a combination of calendrical, astronomical, social, ritual and economic aspects. It should be noted that few Spanish chroniclers made mention of the geoglyphs, however, there are colonial documents where it is stated that the geoglyphs were of great ceremonial importance.

The figures and what they represent

The most popular and striking figures of Nazca are the following:

Monkey

It consists of a figure that has nine fingers and a spiral tail; As for its size, this is 135 meters. The monkey was found by María Reiche, the German mathematician and archaeologist who dedicated her life to the Nazca lines.

For Reiche, the figure's hands and tail are directly related to the rainy seasons and constellations. Therefore, the monkey is believed to be a representation of the Big Dipper.

The hummingbird

Probably the most popular image of Nazca. It stands out among the others for the symmetry of its lines. Archaeologists have been able to calculate a distance of 66 meters between its wings; This element served the Peruvian historian María Rostworowski to affirm that the hummingbird is a tribute to some flying deity with the aim of invoking the rains.

The giant bird

It is characterized by its enormous size, since it reaches about 54 meters in width and 300 meters in length. Its peak is located towards the direction where the Sun rises during the month of June and has a snake neck; for this reason, the researchers believe that it is a representation of a solar festival, specifically the Inti Raymi.

The spider

This figure is about 46 meters long and some claim that it was made with the aim of avoiding the dry season.

The whale

It is 20 meters high and 60 meters wide. Some archaeologists have claimed that it represents a sea god.

The owl-man or the astronaut

It is a very strange anthropomorphic form, characterized by its popularity and by being loaded with pseudoscientific theories. Pseudo-archaeologists affirm that it consists of a human figure wearing a helmet; This image is used to determine that the Nazca lines were made by aliens.

References

1. Arteaga, S. (2018) What are the Nazca lines? History, curiosities and legends. Retrieved on November 12, 2019 from computerhoy.com
2. Aveni, A. (1986) The nazca lines: patterns in the desert. Retrieved on November 12, 2019 from bcin.ca
3. Bray, W. (1992) Under the skin of Nazca. Retrieved on November 12, 2019 from Springer.
4. Klokoeník, J. (sf) The geoglyphs of Nazca, Peru. Retrieved on November 12, 2019 from the PUCP Repository
5. Rodriguez, C. (sf) Nasca: looking for footprints in the desert. Retrieved on November 12, 2019 from Fundación Telefónica.
6. SA (sf) Nazca Lines. Retrieved on November 12, 2019 from Wikipedia.
7. Silverman, H. Browne, D. (1991) New evidence for the date of the Nazca lines. Retrieved on November 12, 2019 from Cambridge.org