The giant ground drawings of the Peruvian Nazca plateau are deservedly considered one of the most mysterious sights not only in South America, but of the entire planet.
About 500 square meters of the plateau area are covered with mysterious lines that form bizarre figures. The lines that form the Nazca drawings are applied to the surface of the earth in a peculiar way - excavation, as a result of which trenches up to 1.5 meters wide and up to 30-50 centimeters deep were formed.
The lines form a huge number of geoglyphs - geometric and curly patterns: over 10,000 stripes, more than 700 geometric shapes (mainly trapezoids, triangles and spirals), about 30 images of birds, animals, insects and flowers.
Nazca's drawings are impressive in their size. So, for example, the figures of a spider and a hummingbird are about 50 meters long, the drawing of a condor extends for 120 meters, the image of a pelican is almost 290 meters. It is striking that with such gigantic dimensions, the contours of the figures are continuous and surprisingly accurate. Almost perfectly flat stripes cross the beds of dry rivers, climb up and down high hills, but do not deviate from the required direction. Modern science is unable to explain such a phenomenon.
For the first time, these amazing ancient figures were discovered by pilots only in the 30s of the last century.
This is explained by the fact that from the ground it is almost impossible to recognize the figures, spread over tens and hundreds of meters in length.
Despite decades of research, it remains a mystery how, by whom and for what purpose these drawings were made. The estimated "age" of the images is from fifteen to twenty centuries.
Today, about 30 drawings are known, about 13 thousand lines and stripes, about 700 geometric figures (primarily triangles and trapezoids, as well as about a hundred spirals).
Most researchers attribute the authorship of the drawings to representatives of the Nazca civilization, who inhabited the plateau before the advent of the Incas. The level of development of the Nazca civilization has not been sufficiently studied, therefore it is impossible to say with certainty that its representatives possessed the technologies that allow them to create such drawings.
There are many versions explaining the purpose of the Nazca geoglyphs. The most common of these is astronomical. Its supporters consider the Nazca lines to be a kind of astronomical calendar. The ritual version is also popular, according to which giant drawings are intended for communication with the heavenly Deity.
Multiple repetitions of the same lines and figures, as well as the revealed mathematical patterns in their proportions and mutual arrangement, give the right to assume that the Nazca drawings are a kind of encrypted text. According to the most fantastic hypotheses, the figures on the plateau serve as landmarks for the landing of alien ships.
Unfortunately, a purposeful and regular study of the Nazca geoglyphs is not carried out in our time. The centuries-old mysteries of the famous Peruvian drawings are still waiting to be explored.
Geoglyphs of Nazca and Palpa from a copter. peru 2014 hd
Satellite drawings of Nazca
In the southern part of Peru, the Nazca plateau is located, famous for its system of drawings.
A large number of images are applied to the plateau, the most famous of them are a lizard, a monkey, flowers, a spider and various geometric lines.
The uniqueness of these images is that they have colossal dimensions.
The average size of one figure is about 50 meters.
One of the largest objects - a lizard - reaches a length of 188 meters.
With full confidence they can be called one of the wonders of the world.
Drawings made on the ground and reaching a size of more than four meters are called geoglyphs.
Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas, and geoglyphs annually attract hundreds of tourists to Peru.
In total, almost 800 geometric figures and about 30 full-fledged drawings were discovered on the Nazca plateau.
Story
Presumably, the time of the appearance of the drawings is associated with the appearance of the Incas in the area.
Due to their large size, the drawings are not visible directly from the ground.
The first to see them was the American archaeologist Paul Kosok, when he circled over the plateau in an airplane.
He found that some lines indicate certain phases of the moon or constellation.
Origin
Until now, there is no consensus about the purpose of these drawings.
Some scientists claim that the drawings represent the largest open-air star atlas.
The drawings look like lighter lines against a background of dark gravel. To create them, it was necessary to remove the upper layers of rocky soil. 
Almost all drawings symbolize some kind of animals, but the meaning of geometric shapes has not yet been unraveled.
There is no reasoned answer to the question of who created these giant images and for what purpose.
In the 70s of the twentieth century, ancient clay products were discovered in the Nazca desert, ornamented with patterns from the plateau itself.
In addition, scientists have discovered wooden piles driven in at the points where the lines end. The dishes and piles date back to the 6th century AD.
Historian Alan Sauer found that most of the drawings are created using a continuous non-intersecting line.
Another assumption is due to the fact that some of the lines follow the trajectory along which underground rivers flow from the Andes to the Pacific coast.
There are several hypotheses about the nature of these drawings. So, the most daring assumption assigns the authorship of geoglyphs to extraterrestrial civilizations.
Confirmation is the fact that in order to create such accurate and large-scale figures, technologies are needed that are absolutely inaccessible to the American Indians.
Another fact that suggests the extraterrestrial origin of the images is the presence of a drawing that looks like a modern astronaut.
So one of the theories claims that the Nazca plateau is an ancient spaceport for guests from other galaxies.
There is also an assumption that the drawings and lines had a cult significance. This is doubtful, since for a minimal impact on the feelings of believers, these drawings should be visible.
In confirmation of the cult purpose of geoglyphs, the American Jim Woodman suggested that the Indians actively used balloons and regulated the creation of images with their help.
How to get there
If you look at the world map, then the Nazca Plateau is located 380 kilometers southeast of the capital of Peru, the city of Lima.
The coordinates where the drawings are located on the Nazca Plateau:
14° 45' south latitude and 75° 05' west longitude.
On the way to the mysterious desert, you can enjoy the views of the picturesque coast of the Pacific Ocean. 
The easiest way to get to Nazca is with a change in the town of Ica. The journey usually takes a little over seven hours.
Due to the large influx of tourists, it is better to get tickets in advance - at least twenty-four hours in advance.
Very often, the terminals from which you can go to Nazca are located at a great distance from the city center.
Depending on the transport company the cost of one ticket varies from 24 to 51 dollars.
It is most convenient to go on a trip at night or late in the evening, when the heat subsides a little.
Tourists planning to visit the mysterious desert should wear comfortable closed shoes and light clothing.
Pictures are best viewed on sunny days. So, the most optimal the season for excursions in Peru begins in December and ends in March.
The air temperature at this time of the year rarely drops below +27°C. An indispensable thing on the tour is sunscreen and a thick hat.
Local agencies offer sightseeing tours on passenger planes. This is the best opportunity to view the entire plateau in detail.
On sunny days, most of the drawings are visible, especially since the guides choose routes associated with the most popular parts of the plateau.
It is also better to book such excursions in advance due to the large number of people.
Price
A half-hour excursion with a departure from the city of Nazca will cost travelers about $150.
If you have $350 at your disposal, you can book a tour directly from Lima.
This amount includes travel to the Nazca airfield, watching a documentary, the flight itself and lunch at a local restaurant.
This option is the most profitable, as it allows you to save precious time for the traveler.
The most budget option is to visit the observation deck located on the El Mirador highway. The ticket price is a little less than a dollar. 
But due to the large size and distance between the drawings, only two of them open to the traveler's view.
A visit to the Nazca plateau should be done quickly: despite the fact that the authorities are fighting to preserve these mysterious patterns, some of them are crossed by the wheels of trucks and cars.
For example, during the construction of the Pan-American Highway, workers simply cut in two a 188-meter drawing depicting a reptile. Part of the image is irretrievably lost.
By visiting Nazca, you can fully feel the presence of a great mystery, the solution of which is not yet subject to man. With its scale The quality of the geoglyphs is comparable to the Egyptian pyramids.
In addition to drawings, Nazca attracts other attractions. So, very close by are the ruins of the largest ancient city of Kuachi, the Chauchilla necropolis and the Kantayok aqueducts.
Video flight over the Nazca plateau
Liked the article?
Subscribe to site updates via RSS, or stay tuned
The Nazca Desert is one of the most amazing and at the same time mysterious. Archaeologists, mythologists and historians still cannot understand where the huge drawings and lines appeared on its plateau. At one time, they made a real sensation and commotion in the scientific field. Many tourists travel to see with their own eyes such amazing drawings in the Nazca desert. Not everyone can afford to walk along its board, and if someone decides to do so, they will stay on its territory for no more than two hours.
Geoglyphs of the Nazca Desert
In 1939, while flying over the desert plateau, archaeologist Paul Kosok noticed strange lines and unusual patterns. He told the whole world about it and made quite a stir. Drawings in the Peruvian Nazca desert were studied by a large number of scientists, but everyone shrugged their shoulders, trying to answer the question of where they came from. There were many options: aliens, believers or winds left them, but the arguments of other scientists called everything into question. The mystery of the mysterious drawings has not yet been revealed, it is shrouded in legends and theories.
More than 30 geoglyphs depicting various animals and insects, lines and triangles, etc. fit in the Nazca desert of Peru. It is possible to see them completely only by rising into the sky.
Desert toursTo see the mysterious drawings on the plateau of the Nazca desert is a costly affair, but possible. There are five travel companies that collect small excursion groups every day. over the Peruvian Nazca desert passes on a steam plane or on a small plane. The cost of the flight is $350. Regarding the excursion, you should apply 2-3 days in advance, because the number of passengers on the plane is limited (5 people), and there are a large number of people who want to. At the agency, you can also arrange to view the desert gallery by helicopter. Naturally, this pleasure will result in a huge amount for you - 500-600 dollars.
Excursions in the desert are held mainly in December, when the air temperature drops to +27 degrees. In the rest of the year it is almost impossible to be on it. Before you go on a tour, you need to dress properly. Choose light-colored, lightweight clothing, closed-toe shoes with thick soles, and a wide-brimmed hat.
Where is the Nazca Desert located?
The Nazca Desert in Peru is located 380 km from. If you are traveling on, then to get there, you need to choose the 1S highway, which is not far from the Pacific Ocean. From Lima you can get to the desert with
Plateau Nazca located in the south of the state of Peru. Due to the dry climate and lack of water and vegetation, the area is also called the Nazca Desert. The name of the plateau is associated with
pre-Columbian civilization,
that existed in these places in the time interval of 500 BC. BC . and 500 g. n.e. His plateau fame Nazca received thanks to geoglyphs - huge drawings drawn on the ground, which can only be seen from the air.
Discovery of the Nazca geoglyphs.
The mysterious drawings in the desert plateau became known back in 1553 from the Spanish priest Pedro Cieza de Leon. Traveling through the territory of the modern state of Peru, he wrote in his notes about the many lines drawn on the ground, which he called the "road of the Incas" and about some signs also drawn on the sand. The first to see these signs from the air was the American archaeologist Paul Kosok , who flew over the vast plateau in 1939 . A great contribution to the study of Nazca drawings was made by the German archaeologist Maria Reiche. In 1947, she flew over the plateau in an airplane photographed geoglyphs from the air.
Description of the drawings on the Nazca plateau
Geoglyphs are several tens of meters in size, and the Nazca lines stretch for many kilometers and sometimes even go beyond the horizon, crossing hills and dry riverbeds. Images are applied to the surface by removing the soil. They form furrows about 135 cm wide and 30-50 cm deep. The drawings have survived to the present day due to the dry semi-desert climate. Today it is known about 30 drawings depicting geometric figures, animals, and only one depicts humanoid a creature about 30 meters high, similar to an astronaut. Among animal depictions, the most famous are the spider, hummingbird, whale, condor, and monkey. The geoglyph depicting the condor is one of the largest in the desert. Its length from beak to tail is 120 meters. For comparison: the size of a spider is 46 meters, and a hummingbird is 50 meters.
Mysteries of the geoglyphs of the Nazca desert
The mysterious drawings left many questions for archaeologists and historians. Who created them? How and for what purpose? Geoglyphs cannot be seen from the ground. They are visible only from the air, and there are no mountains nearby from where these lines and drawings could be seen. Another question arises that next to the drawings and lines there are no traces of ancient artists, although if a car passes over the surface, traces will remain. It is noteworthy that the monkey and whale depicted on the geoglyphs do not live in this area.
Exploring the Nazca Plateau
Some scholars believe that the geoglyphs had ritual significance for the ancient inhabitants of the valley. Since they could only be seen from the air, only the gods could see them, to whom people addressed with the help of drawings. Many researchers adhere to the hypothesis that the images of Nazca were created by the civilization of the same name that lived in these places in the 2nd century BC. Explorer geoglyphs Maria Reiche believes that the drawings were first made on small sketches, and only then applied to the surface in full size. As evidence, she provided a sketch found in these places. In addition , at the ends of the lines depicting the drawings , wooden posts driven into the ground were found . They could serve as point coordinates when drawing geoglyphs. The research results showed that the images were created at different times. Intersecting and overlapping lines indicate that ancient painting covered the valley ground in several stages.
Various versions of the origin of Heglyphs
Many historians and archaeologists hold astronomical versions of drawings. The ancient inhabitants of the Nazca desert could be well versed in astronomy. The created gallery is a kind of map of the starry sky. This version was held by the German archaeologist Maria Reiche. The American astronomer Phyllis Pitlugi, in favor of this version, cites the fact that the geoglyph depicting a spider is a drawing showing a cluster of stars in the constellation Orion. However, British researcher Gerald Hawkins is sure that only a small part of the lines and drawings of the Nazca desert are associated with astronomy. Some ufologists suggest that the drawings were a guide for landing alien ships, and the lines of the Nazca plateau served as runways. Skeptics do not agree with this version, if only because alien spacecraft capable of traveling tens of light years do not need acceleration to take off. They can take to the air vertically. Jim Woodman, who studied the Nazca plateau in the 70s of the last century, came to the conclusion that the ancient inhabitants who created these drawings could fly in a balloon. He explains this by the image of this flying object on clay figurines that have survived from ancient times. To prove it, Woodman made a balloon from off-the-shelf materials that could only be obtained in the nearest county. Hot air was fed into the balloon and it was able to fly a fairly long distance. The German archaeologist Maria Reiche, mentioned above, called the geometric figures and lines of the Nazca plateau a ciphertext similar to a set of letters and signs.
There is still no consensus on the origin and purpose of the mysterious geoglyphs. The Nazca plateau remains one of the greatest mysteries on our planet...
Pampa Colorado Desert(Spanish: Desierto de la Pampa Colorado; "Red Plain"), located south of the Nazca River, is more often called "Nazca Plateau"(Spanish: Nazca). This is a waterless and deserted desert plain, surrounded by low spurs of the Andes, stretching 450 km southeast of the Peruvian capital, (Spanish: Lima).
The vast, elongated plateau area of about 500 km² extends from north to south for more than 50 km, from west to east - from 7 to 15 km. The valley has long been mistakenly considered lifeless. Flat terrain with undulating relief in places is separated from other flat areas by pronounced ledges.
Photo gallery not open? Go to site version.
The name "Nasca" also refers to an ancient civilization that flourished between 300 BC and 300 BC. to 500 AD Perhaps it was this culture that created the mysterious "Nazca lines", the ancient ceremonial city of Cahuachi and the extensive system of "puquios" - unique underground aqueducts.
An important component of the region, in addition to the famous plateau, is the city of the same name, founded by the Spaniards in 1591. At the end of the last century, in 1996, the city of Nazca was razed to the ground by a strong earthquake. Fortunately, there were few victims (17 people died), since the rampant underground elements occurred at noon, but about 100 thousand people were left homeless. Today, the city has been rebuilt, modern high-rise buildings have been erected here, and its center is decorated with a wonderful square.
Climate
The sparsely populated area has a very dry climate.
Winter on the vast plateau lasts from June to September, during the year the temperature in the desert does not fall below +16°C. In summer, the air temperature is stable and stays around +25°C. Despite the proximity of the ocean, rains here are extremely rare. Winds are also practically absent here, surrounded by a plateau there are no rivers, lakes and streams. The fact that once these lands saw water flows is told by numerous channels of long-dried rivers.
Mysterious geoglyphs (Nazca Lines)
However, this Peruvian region is notable primarily not for the city, but for the mysterious geoglyphs - unusual lines, geometric shapes and bizarre patterns that adorn the surface of the plateau. For the modern scientific community, these drawings have been presenting more and more new mysteries for centuries. Dozens of minds have been struggling for many years in an attempt to answer numerous questions regarding mysterious images.
Map of figures
In total, about 13 thousand different lines, more than 100 spirals, over 700 geometric figures or areas (triangles, rectangles, trapezoids) and 788 images of people, birds and animals were found on the desert plain. Images of the plateau are long grooves of various widths, from 15 to 30 cm deep, dug in the upper soil layer - a mixture of clay and sand. The length of the longest lines reaches 10 km. The width of the drawings is also striking, in some cases reaching 150-200 m.
There are drawings here that resemble the outlines of animals - llamas, monkeys, killer whales, birds, etc. Single drawings (about 40) depict sharks, fish, lizards and spiders.
The figures amaze the imagination with their gigantic size, but people still have not been able to unravel their true purpose. The answer may lie in the depths of the desert. This means that in order to find out who and why created these amazing arts, archaeological excavations are needed, which are prohibited here, because the plateau is protected by the status "Sacred Zone"(related to the Divine, heavenly, otherworldly, mystical). So, to this day, the origin of the Nazca drawings remains a secret behind seven seals.
The geoglyphs of the Nazca plateau in 1994 were included in the lists of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
But no matter how "sacred" the territory is, no one has canceled the dominant human trait - curiosity, which stimulates humanity to overcome any difficulties.
The first extremely curious person who became interested in these forbidden lands was Mejia Toribio Hespe(Spanish: Toribio Mejía Xesspe), an archaeologist from Peru, who in 1927 studied the "Nazca lines" from the foothills surrounding the lifeless plateau. In 1939, an unusual plateau gained worldwide fame thanks to a Peruvian scientist.
In 1930, anthropologists studied the mysterious desert area with mysterious lines, flying around the plateau in an airplane. The attention of archaeologists around the world was riveted to the desert in the early 40s of the XX century. So, in 1941, the American historian, professor of hydrogeology Paul Kosok (born Paul Kosok; 1896-1959) made several reconnaissance flights over the desert in a small plane. It was he who determined that gigantic lines and figures cover a vast territory stretched for 100 km.
Scientists were able to study the unique plateau more closely only in 1946, although this was not a targeted state program funded by the authorities, but separate expeditions of enthusiastic researchers. It turned out that the ancient "designers" created the Nazca trenches by removing the dark surface soil layer (the so-called "desert tan") - clay saturated with iron oxide and manganese oxide. Gravel was completely removed from the line section, under which there was a light-colored soil with a rich lime content. In the open air, the limestone hardens instantly, forming a protective layer that is excellent at preventing erosion, which is why the lines are so catchy and have retained their original shape for 1000 years. With the technical simplicity of execution, such a solution required excellent knowledge of geodesy. The durability of the drawings was also facilitated by the usual calm here, the absence of precipitation and stable air temperature throughout the year. If the local climatic conditions were different, then, undoubtedly, the drawings would have disappeared from the face of the earth long ago.
They continue to puzzle more than one generation of researchers from around the world.
mystical civilization
Official science claims that all images were created during the heyday of the ancient Nazca empire, which has a very developed culture. Civilization was founded by the archaeological culture (Spanish: Paracas), the indigenous Indians of southern Peru in the 2nd half of the 1st millennium BC. e. Many scholars agree that most of the lines and figures were created during a period of 1100 years, during the "Golden Age" of the Nazca civilization (100-200 AD). The ancient civilization sank into oblivion at the end of the 8th century, the reason for this, presumably, was the floods that befell the territory of the plateau by the end of the first 1000th anniversary. People were forced to leave their land, which was settled after several centuries.
If we assume that the mysterious drawings were created by the ancient people, then why and, most importantly, how the natives were able to do this remains a mystery. Even using modern technology, it is extremely difficult to draw a perfectly straight line on the surface of the earth, even with a length of 3-5 km.
According to the findings of scientists, all this was done in a short time. For a couple of centuries, the Nazca plateau has turned from a lifeless valley into the most bizarre territory on the planet, dotted with geoglyphs. The hollows and hills of the desert were crossed by unknown artists, but the lines remained perfectly correct, and the edges of the grooves were strictly parallel. How unknown craftsmen created the figures of various animals that can only be seen from the height of a bird's flight is completely unclear.
46 meter spider
For example, the image of a hummingbird reaches a length of 50 m, a condor bird - 120 m, and a spider that looks like relatives living in the Amazonian jungle has a length of 46 m. Interestingly, all these masterpieces can be seen only by rising into the air, or by climbing on a high mountain, which is not observed nearby.
It is obvious that the people who inhabited the plateau during the period of the emergence of art did not have aircraft. How could people create drawings with jeweler's precision without being able to see the full picture of the work done? How did the masters manage to maintain the accuracy of all the lines? To do this, they would need a whole arsenal of modern geodetic equipment, not to mention the most perfect knowledge of mathematical laws, given that the images were created both on flat areas of the earth, and on steep slopes and almost sheer cliffs!
Moreover, in the region of the deserted Nazca valley there are hills (Spanish: Palpa), the tops of some are cut off like a giant knife on the same level. These huge sections are also decorated with drawings, lines and geometric shapes.
Maybe it is generally difficult for us to understand the logic of our distant ancestors. Children do not understand their parents, what is there to understand the motives of people who lived 1000 - 2000 years ago. It is possible that the images of the plateau have no practical or religious component. Maybe the ancient people created them in order to show their descendants what they are capable of? But why waste a lot of time and energy for self-affirmation? In general, questions, questions to which there are no answers yet.
Alien intervention?
Scientists who are sure that a person created the mysterious drawings are no more than those who believe that it could not have done without the intervention of aliens. According to the latter, the images on the plateau are alien runways. Such a version, of course, has the right to exist, it is only unclear why alien aircraft did not have a vertical take-off system and why it was necessary to make runways in the form of zigzags, spirals and terrestrial animals.
Another thing is also interesting: many scientists believe that complex drawings in the form of bizarre animals, birds and insects were applied much earlier than simpler geometric shapes, circles and lines. The conclusion suggests itself that at first unknown mysterious masters completed complex forms, and only then earthly people began to practice creating straight lines.
Other hypotheses
Maria Reiche (German: Maria Reiche; 1903-1998), a German mathematician and archaeologist, who since 1946 for more than 40 years (until her death at the age of 95) methodically and scrupulously studied the Nazca figures, believed that they the lines are a giant ancient calendar. In her opinion, many of the drawings are accurate images of the constellations, and the lines correspond to the movement of the sun or are oriented to the moon, the planets of the solar system and some of the constellations. For example, the drawing in the form of a spider, according to Reiche, reproduces a cluster of stars in the constellation Orion. Based on her astronomical calculations, she was the first to announce the time of creation of the drawings - the 5th century BC. Later, radiocarbon analysis of a wooden marking peg found in the place of one of the geoglyphs confirmed the date indicated by M. Reiche.
There is another entertaining theory regarding mystical drawings. The famous American archaeologist Johann Reinhard, professor emeritus at the Catholic University of Santa Maria (UCSM, Peru), believes that the giant Nazca lines were built for some religious rites. The figures of animals, birds and insects were supposedly associated with the worship of deities. With the help of drawings, people pleased the Gods and asked them for water to irrigate their land. Some archaeologists are inclined to believe that the lines and bizarre drawings were sacred paths that local priests walked during ritual ceremonies. As in any pagan religion (the ancient people, obviously, was a novice of this faith), the cult of the gods occupies a central place not only in religion, but also in the life of people. But again the question arises: why did the ancient Peruvians decide to address the deities in this remote place, where there was never cultivated land?
There is also such a hypothesis that in ancient times Indian athletes ran along giant lines and stripes, which means that South American sports Olympiads were held on Nazca. Straight lines, of course, could be used as treadmills, but how can you run in a spiral and on the images of birds or, for example, a monkey?
There were also publications that huge triangular and trapezoidal platforms were created for some kind of ceremonies, during which sacrifices were made to the gods and mass festivities took place. But why, then, the archaeologists, who have searched all the surroundings of the plateau, have not found a single artifact confirming this version?
There is even such an absurd idea that the gigantic work was done solely for the purpose of a kind of labor education, so that the idle ancient Peruvians were busy with business ... Another hypothesis says that all the drawings are a giant loom of ancient people who laid out the threads along the lines. It was also argued that the amazing drawings are a colossal encrypted map of the world, which so far no one has been able to decipher.
In recent years, voices have increasingly begun to be heard that the incredible drawings are just the result of someone's falsification. But then, over the course of decades, a whole army of counterfeiters had to tear their veins over the manufacture of the largest fake in the history of mankind. Yes, it was still necessary to keep everything a secret. The question is what for?
Today, unfortunately, the main attention of scientists from all over the world is focused not on the Nazca drawings shrouded in mystery, but on a serious environmental threat hanging over the mysterious plateau. Deforestation, harmful emissions into the atmosphere, environmental pollution - all this does not change the stable climate of the desert for the better: it rains more and more often, leading to landslides and other troubles that have a destructive effect on the integrity of images. If nothing is done in the next 5-10 years to overcome a serious threat, amazing drawings will be lost to humanity forever. Then there is no doubt that the answers to the countless questions that concern us will NEVER be received. We will never know WHO and WHY created these unique creations.
Archaeological sites of the region
The capital and main ceremonial center of the Nazca civilization was the ancient settlement of Cahuachi. The city was a concentration of adobe houses and outbuildings. In the center of it stood a pyramidal structure - the Great Temple, built on a hill about 30 m high. Around the main Temple there were squares, palaces and tombs.
In addition to Cahuachi, several other large architectural complexes of the ancient civilization are known. The most unusual of them is Vosque Muerto (Spanish for “Dead Forest”) Estaqueria, which is a row of 240 pillars up to 2 m high, mounted on a low platform. To the west and south of the platform, smaller pillars are installed, moreover, they are lined up not in rows, but in chains. Near the "dead forest" there was a stepped hill with 2 rows of terraces.
On the territory of Estakeria there are many burials in which preserved parts of robes were found. Based on the fragments found, the clothes of the Nazca people were recreated: long capes with a wide border and traditional South American ponchos - a rectangular canvas with a slit for the head. It is noteworthy that the color range of fabrics is unusually extensive, numbering up to 150 various shades.
The culture of the ancient civilization impresses with its unique polychrome vessels of excellent quality, while the Indians were not familiar with the potter's wheel. Cups, vases, figured jugs and bowls were painted with paints of 6-7 colors, which were applied before firing.
The secrets of Nazca do not end there. If the surface of the valley is decorated with gigantic drawings that are still incomprehensible to the human mind, then even more unimaginable puquios (Spanish Puquios; from Ketch. source, spring) lurk in its bowels - ancient aqueduct systems near the city of Nazca. Of the 36 giant puquios, which are granite pipes of underground water pipes, most of them still function normally. The current Peruvian Indians attribute the creation of the puquios to a divine creator. Viracoche +20 points, 4
ratings)
