Nazca
Peruvian ground drawings
Nazca refers to an ancient civilization that flourished in southern Peru from roughly 100 BCE to 800 CE, best known for the Nazca Lines—enormous geoglyphs etched into the desert floor depicting animals, plants, and geometric shapes visible only from above.
The lines remain a subject of archaeological fascination and popular speculation about their purpose.
We flew over the Nazca Lines at dawn.
Strokes connecting two points
- hummingbirdSmall nectar-feeding hoverer
- monkeyTailed primate mammal
- spiderWeb-spinning arachnid
- condorGiant New World vulture
trapezoids · biomorphs · geometric · whale · dog · parrot · hands · tree
Act of unearthing
- potteryFired clay objects
- ceramicsHardened clay objects
- burialsPlacing dead underground
- tombsChambers for the dead
mummies · artifacts · stratigraphy · carbon-dating · anthropology · preservation · conservation · relics
Ceremonial repeated practices
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- deitiesWorshipped supernatural beings
- mythologyBody of traditional tales
- traditionsLong-established customs passed down
agriculture · irrigation · feasting · kinship · ancestors · Andean · textiles · polychrome
Something unexplained or unknown
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- extraterrestrialBeing from outer space
- ancient astronautsPrehistoric alien intervention theory
- alignmentsProper relative positions
astronomical · solstice · water · ritual · speculation · debate · interpretation · purpose
lines
Strokes connecting two points
- hummingbirdSmall nectar-feeding hoverer
- monkeyTailed primate mammal
- spiderWeb-spinning arachnid
condor · trapezoids · biomorphs · geometric · whale · dog · parrot · hands · tree · heron
excavation
Act of unearthing
tombs · mummies · artifacts · stratigraphy · carbon-dating · anthropology · preservation · conservation · relics · iconography
rituals
Ceremonial repeated practices
- shamanismMediation between worlds
- deitiesWorshipped supernatural beings
- mythologyBody of traditional tales
traditions · agriculture · irrigation · feasting · kinship · ancestors · Andean · textiles · polychrome · trophy heads
mystery
Something unexplained or unknown
- enigmaSomething hard to fathom
- extraterrestrialBeing from outer space
- ancient astronautsPrehistoric alien intervention theory
alignments · astronomical · solstice · water · ritual · speculation · debate · interpretation · purpose · origin
- Ancient CulturesAztec, Inca, Mayan, Olmec, Minoan
- Indigenous AmericasInca, Quechua, Maya, Guarani, Aztec
- Latin American TownsCusco, Oaxaca, Cartagena, Medellin, Antigua
- Peruvian HistoryInca Empire, Incas, Machu Picchu, Cusco, Cuzco
- Pre-ColumbianAztec, Maya, Inca, Olmec, Mesoamerica
- Pre-Columbian AmericasAztec, Maya, Inca, Olmec, Toltec
- Nazca LinesAncient ground drawings, Peru