I was in Peru recently. Peru is one of the most fascinating countries in the world. Most of us are well aware of the World Heritage Site of Machu Pichu but what we don’t know is that there are numerous other treasures to see and discover.
One of my favourites is the ‘Nazca Lines’ built between 200 BC and 600 BC. One can describe these lines as ancient art in the desert, spread over 100 square miles in the inhospitable barren desert plateau of Southern Peru. It is an area that does not receive more than 20 minutes of rain in a year. At the ground level, you will not be able to distinguish anything much more than burrows in the arid soil. But when you view them from an airplane the figures take on a whole new meaning.
Spread over the desert are the outlines of the hummingbird, spider, dog, lizard, llama, whale, monkey and a humanoid figure named “the astronaut”.
No one has ever been able to determine the purpose of this one-of-a-kind art form. The 800 straight lines and 300 geometric figures have been called ritual mazes, an astronomical calendar, symbols of various gods/goddesses, and even extraterrestrial landing strips.
Even though geoglyphs have been found in other places like Egypt, Malta, United States, Chile, Bolivia and other countries, the Nazca geoglyphs, which were made and remade throughout the whole pre-hispanic period are, in my opinion, the most impressive, enigmatic, mysterious geoglyphs of all. This is because of their numbers, characteristics, dimensions and cultural continuity.
Unfortunately, the Nazca civilization mysteriously abandoned the desert and disappeared by 800 CE and all we are left with are assumptions of why these lines were built.
