The Nazca Lines

The Nazca lines have been a source of fascination since they were first discovered in 1927. They are considered one of archaeology’s most significant mysteries due to their size, quantity, and preservation. However, a few enigmas surrounding the lines have been uncovered such as their origin, meaning, and construction. The Nazca lines consist of more than 800 nearly perfectly straight lines, 70 plant and animal designs, and 300 geometric figures. There are 2 main styles distinctive of the lines: biomorphs and geoglyphs. The biomorphs, resembling animals such as a spider, hummingbird, and monkey, date back to 200 BC. Some measure approximately 1200 feet long; this length is comparable to the Empire State Building. The geoglyphs appeared 500 years later in 300 AD. These geometric forms, including triangles, trapezoids, circles, spirals, and lines, are more massive in size. One straight line even extends 9 miles across the plain. In total, the Nazca lines occupy 37 miles of the plain between the Nazca and Inca valleys in the Peruvian Desert of Peru, South America. The indigenous Nazca people, who thrived between AD 1-700, created the miraculous site. There are multiple different purposes that scientists believe the lines served. One theory is that the Nazca people constructed the lines for religious reasons. Evidence left behind by the …show more content…
I would certainly be willing to visit them due to the intrigue, mystery, and background of rich culture associated with the the Nazca lines. On my PowerPoint last semester, I researched the lines for the travels in Peru, and since learning about them I have been interesting in flying over the lines in a plane. Viewing them would allow me to see an undisturbed slice of the past. To others, they may represent an emphasis on religion and ancient society. Whichever way they are interpreted, they continue to baffle the