Nazca lines
Nazca Lines (Peru)
The Nazca Lines are enormous drawings etched into the desert in southern Peru, near the town of Nazca. They were created by the Nazca civilization between approximately 200 BCE and 600 CE.
What are they?
These are geoglyphs: giant figures made by removing the dark stones from the desert surface to reveal the lighter soil beneath.
They include:
- animals (hummingbird, monkey, spider, condor),
- plants,
- geometric shapes,
- long straight lines stretching over several kilometers.
Some figures are up to 200 meters long.
How to see them?
The designs are so large that they are difficult to fully appreciate from the ground.
- The best way is to take a small plane tour to see them from the air.
- There are also a few observation towers (miradors) along the Pan-American highway, which allow you to view some figures from the ground, but not the entire set of lines.
Why were they created?
Researchers believe they may have served:
- a religious or ceremonial purpose,
- an astronomical function,
- or a role linked to seasonal cycles and water.
The Nazca Lines are a UNESCO World Heritage site and remain one of the greatest archaeological mysteries in the world.