Weekend's Special: The Mysterious Nazca Lines in Peru

Unique place in the world, full with mystery and mysticism, wonderful traces of immense figures and lines of spectacular perfection. Diverse scientific theories have been placed on these lines. Some theories only explain its possible construction associated to extraterrestrial beings.

The great constructions of observatories of astronomical cycles, well-known as the Nazca Lines, were used by the farmers to know and control the meteorological agrarian cycles, aside from their possible religious significance (Maria Reiche's theory).

The Nazca Lines are traced on San José and Socos desert plains, between the 419 and 465 km. of the South Pan-American Highway, with an extension of 450 square km., near the Nazca city.

The Nazca lines and figures cover a total area of 520 square kilometres. They are situated 400 kilometres south of Lima on the Pampa Colorada - a desolate plain between the Peruvian coast and the Andes Mountains. It is a rocky desert, rather than a sandy one. Its surface is covered in small stones that are dark red because they contain ferrous oxide. These have been cleared away to expose the lighter-coloured soil underneath, creating a multitude of lines.

Dozens of stylised figures have also been etched onto the desert, creating the world’s largest piece of art. The figures have each been drawn using a singular continuous line, with the largest being some 285 metres long. There are 70 figures in total. In the most part they are creatures, such as a hummingbird, llama or dog - however a flower, loom and geometric shapes can also be seen.

It has been mentioned by other researchers that many of the creatures represented are not native to the area. The most striking example of this is the 45 metre long Spider. It was identified as a member of the rare genus Ricinulei, which is only found in the most remote and inaccessible parts of the Amazon Jungle. These spiders are only 5-10 mm in length. One leg is noticeably longer – it is a protrusible tube, and at its tip is the spider’s reproductive organ, normally only visible with the aid of a microscope.

The lines are a variety of geometrical figures, trapezoids, triangles and lines, plus marine, animal and bird figures of hummingbirds, a whale, a monkey, a spider, a bird likened to a pelican, another like a condor, and one called the astronaut. They range in size up to 1000 ft (300m) across and are about 2000 years old.

The lines are thought to have been etched on the Pampa Colorada sands by three different groups: the Paracas people 900-200 BC, Nazcas 200 BC-AD 600 and the settlers from Ayacucho at about 630 AD. The Nazca were potters, like the Moche, and their pottery shows their daily life.

The drawings drew the attention of German mathematician Maria Reiche, who worked as Kosok's translator. She studied the lines from the 1940's to her death in 1998. She lived nearby, walked and photographed the lines, drew maps, developed theories, and drew the attention of the world to Nazca.

Maria Reiche developed the theory that the ancient Peruvians drew the lines to please the gods and secure their good will. She called the desert an astronomical calendar to remind the gods that the desert was dry and needed water; that crops needed blessings; that the seas needed fish. There are theories that the figures correspond to cosntellations and the annual change of the seasons. Other theories contend that the figures represent a pantheon of gods and goddesses and were the site of religious ceremonies.

Other theories, such as Erich von Daniken who argued in "Chariots of the Gods?" that they are the remains of a giant extraterrestrial airport, brought a flurry of students of the paranormal to the area. They came in such numbers that they threatened the lines and the area was made off-limits. Dr. Reiche had guards posted to make sure no further damage was done to the lines. Though they have survived 2000 years of wind and occasional rain, the lines on the desert floor cannot withstand pedestrians, horses and vehicles. The Nazca Lines are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Peru.

You can see the lizard, hands and the tree figures from the Mirador, a viewing platform along the side of the Pan American highway, but the best overall sight is from a small airplane, early in the morning.

As you observe the lines, you can wonder about the various theories, including the idea that the ancient culture used them to indicate underground water sources, or the older one that the lines are caused by the physical movement of underground water. There are water channels, painstakingly built of rock walls and maintained over the centuries that carry water from the mountains to a farming oasis near the figures.