Nazca Lines - What's their Secret?
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Nazca Lines of Peru: Ancient Art, Astronomical Calendars, Sacred Paths, or UFO Landing Sites?
The Nazca Lines are found in the desert near the town of Nazca in Peru. They are huge geoglyphs, the largest of which are nearly 270 meters (890 ft) long, covering an area nearly 500 square kilometers (193 square miles). Due to the dry desert conditions, these lines have been preserved until now from the time they were built as much as 2,000 years ago, presumably by people of the local Nasca culture.
Image of Dog from Wikimedia Commons.
There are several hundred Nazca line figures, some geometric shapes, others appearing as representations of animals and other creatures. Their design is revealed from the air. Naturally, this led to speculation as to whether an ancient culture who had no ability to fly could have built them, and why.
What are Nazca Line figures?
Nazca line figures are enormous geoglyphs, drawings of animals, geometric patterns, and just lines that were made around 2,000 years ago in the Nazca desert. The lines were made by removing surface of the Nazca desert, which consists of reddish-brown iron oxide-coated gravel. The earth below is a much lighter color, and so the lines appear in sharp contrast. They are huge, so it is quite a mystery how these people could have created the lines, whose designs are revealed clearly only from the air.Image of Nazca "Tree and Hands" from Wikimedia Commons.
And not only how did they do it, but why? Like Stonehenge for example, the imagination and creativity of the builders continues to amaze us, and the purpose for which they constructed them continues to mystify us.
Aerial View of Nazca Lines on Mountain Side
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Many explanations have been put forth since passengers in airplanes flying over the region first noticed the strange "runways" and art forms. Some have suggested they are just works of art, an ancient culture's homage to the beauty and diversity of nature. Others believe there was a more practical purpose, such as astronomical calendars or representations of constellations, or they were spiritually inspired as worship of deities. Others have suggested other worldly origins. In fact, the explanations of these amazing creations have become almost as creative as the Nazca lines themselves!
Nazca Lines Depicting Living Creatures
Mysterious Nazca Lines Form Animal and Geometric Figures
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Monkey
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Spider
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Landing Site for Extraterrestrials?
The precision of the Nazca Lines suggested to some, most notably Erich von Daniken, that they were made by extraterrestrials who visited the earth long ago and who marked out designs and landing strips that were visible from the air if not space. Geometric shapes, such as the trapezoid below, certainly give some credence to the landing site interpretation.There is even a humanoid figure that certainly resembles an astronaut!
Image from Wikimedia Commons.
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Artists' Representations of Nazca Lines
Many items are available for purchase adorned with Nazca Line figures
Nazca Lines Astronaut by auraclover at Zazzle.
Other creatures also feature on many items, such as the Condor, Hummingbird, and Whale seen below.
Nazca Lines Condor by auraclover at Zazzle
Nazca Hummingbird by auraclover at Zazzle
Nazca Lines Whale by auraclover at Zazzle
Books about Nazca Lines
What Do you Think about the Nazca Lines?
Why do you think the Nasca people made these line figures? Or do you think aliens made them? Give your opinion here!
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globedancer
Apr 6, 2012 @ 10:42 pm | delete
- This is so fascinating! I would love to fly over and see them for myself someday!
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ggherardi Apr 1, 2012 @ 1:07 am | delete
- great lens!!! It is a must see.....
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JimDickens
Mar 11, 2012 @ 2:54 pm | delete
- Are they all in just one area? If so then they would seem to be property markers of some sort. This family lands here and that one over there. I don't know
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MelonyVaughan
Mar 10, 2012 @ 11:09 pm | delete
- You gave me goose bumps! Very creepy!
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MobileAppMan
Jan 23, 2012 @ 12:57 am | delete
- Hi. 'Liked' and featured this lens too. Nice job btw. Went there myself in 2008 and to Ica and Pisco too. Check out my Peru lenses when you get a chance, OK. Thanks.
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More about Nazca Lines
- Nazca Lines
- Article on New World Encyclopedia.
- Mystic Places - Nazca Lines
- Images, descriptions and theories at World-Mysteries.com.
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Copyright Notice
Copyright © Jennifer P. Tanabe, 2009.
This page was created on May 22, 2009 and is the property of jptanabe (Jennifer P. Tanabe) and Squidoo, LLC. Please do not copy my material!
by jptanabe
There are so many amazing monuments all over the world, created by cultures of long ago or, some say, by aliens! I find them fascinating, and hope you... more »
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