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Today on The Daily Dose: The Nazca Lines

Located in the Peruvian coastal plain, some 250 miles south of Lima, the Nazca Lines are a massive collection of geoglyphs created by the ancient Nazca people of South America approximately 1,300 to 2,000 years ago.

Taken as a whole, there are more than 800 straight lines on the coastal plain, some as long as 30 miles [], including rectangles, trapezoids, zigzags, and spirals, along with 70 animal and plant depictions. Many measure 1,200 feet in length.

Others appear human-like, including one that has been nicknamed “The Astronaut,” leading pseudo-archaeologists in the 1960s and 70s to postulate that the giant rock drawings are the result of an advanced alien culture who paid a visit to the Nazca people.

Located in the desert plains of the Rio Grande del Nasca river basin, one of the driest places on Earth, the Nazca Lines cover an area of 7,500 hectares.

All created by a culture that flourished from 100 BCE to 700 AD, covered in a layer of iron oxide-coated pebbles of a deep rust color, it’s thought that the Nazca people created their massive geoglyphs by removing the top foot or so of rock, thereby exposing the lighter-colored sand beneath.

Most likely beginning with a small-scale pre-construction model before increasing the size and scope into what can be seen today.

Researchers have long debated the purpose of these massive geoglyphs, including an homage to the gods above in hopes of sending rain to such an arid, bone-dry region.

In 2015, during a presentation before the 80th annual meeting of the Society of American Archaeologists, researchers argued that the purpose of the Nazca Lines morphed over time.

Initially, researchers argued, pilgrims heading to Peruvian temple complexes used the geoglyphs as a ritual processional route or routes, while later groups of Nazca people smashed ceramic pots on the ground at the intersecting points between adjoining lines, most likely as part of a religious rite.

In 2018, Peruvian archaeologists announced the discovery of 50 more geoglyphs, previously unrecorded and unknown, after they used drone technology to map the landmarks in greater detail, making the Nazca Lines one of the ongoing mysteries of ancient man. And there you have it, the Nazca Lines today on The Daily Dose.

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Questions

 

Machu Picchu. The Nasca geoplyghs are located in Egypt. Is this correct or incorrect?

Sacsayhuaman. Are the Nasca Lines recent works of art?

Puma Punku, Bolivia. Do the Nasca Lines mostly portray people? What do the Nasca lines depict? Are they small in dimensions?

Tiwanaku, Bolivia. The Nasca Lines are located in the Amazonian Rain Forest. True or false?

Stone Spheres of Costa Rica. Did the Nascans apply paint on the surface of the plain?

Pyramid of the Sun and Moon. Scholars are unanimous as to the purpose of the Nasca Lines and how they were constructed. Is this right or wrong? Might the purpose been timeless or changed over time?

Chichen Itza. What are some hypotheses, in terms of their inspiration and creation?

Tikal, Guatemala. Had all the Nasca Line figures been discovered in the 1930?
 
 
 

Coral Castle, Florida. Why do you think the Nasca Lines were made?

Mesa Verde. How might they have been made?

Pyramids of Giza. Are there mysterious objects in your region or country? Have you visited any megaliths or mysterious places?

Baalbek, Lebanon. Would you and your friends like to visit wonders or mysterious places? Would you like to become an archaeologist or writer?

Moais of Easter Island. What might happen in the future?

Ellora and Ajanta Caves, India. What could or should people, governments, businesses do?