The Nazca Lines

Imagine a blank piece of paper that you doodle on…the lines and curves, random shapes are all part of the doodle. It might represent something to you or it may just be random jumbles from your imagination. Now imagine the Peruvian desert is a piece of paper, a canvas for lines and curves, animal shapes and geometric figures. In the desert the doodles are more than just imagination, they are real. They are the Nazca lines.

What are they?

First discovered in 1927 by archeologists, the Nazca lines have been a mystery ever since. The lines, shapes, and figures, known as geoglyphs, were drawn by the ancient Nazca people over 2,000 years ago. They cover an area of about 200 square miles and are only fully appreciated from the air. The geoglyphs contain over 800 lines, over 700 animals, and over 150 shapes. The largest figure is nearly 1,000 feet and the longest line is over 9 miles. These are massive drawings in the sand.

How were they made?

The geoglyphs were made by removing the top rust-colored layer of the sand and revealing the lighter colors below. The intricate shapes and lines were either marked out with string or rocks and then drawn, sort of like a giant game of connecting the dots. The desert area of Peru only gets about an inch of rain a year, and with low wind and erosion, this has allowed the exposed sand to harden and the lines to remain in almost the same condition for over 2,000 years.

What do the lines represent?

Now we are getting into a highly debated area. You can browse the internet and find theory upon theory about why the lines exist, ranging from aliens to maps of the stars.

Unfortunately, we do not have written records of the purpose of each line. Wouldn’t that be an amazing discovery? Dear future generations, we made these really complex shapes and lines and here is why…

All we have is speculations and really educated guesses. Here are the three main reasons that I found in my reading.

Reason #1: Astronomical Calendar

In 1941, German mathematician Maria Reiche first saw the Nazca lines and it fueled her life-long research into the lines. She is actually known as “Lady of the Lines” and was instrumental in getting the lines registered as a World Heritage Site. Reiche discovered that some of the lines aligned with celestial bodies, the sun, and the moon.

• The Hummingbird geoglyphs longest line actually points to the rising of the sun at the summer solstice.
• The long beak of the Heron points to the rising of the sun on the winter solstice.
• The Condor has a line crossing the bird. This line is oriented to the setting sun on the winter solstice.

Reiche believes that the Nazca people used these lines to mark the beginning and the end of the rainy season. Not all of the lines follow the stars and celestial bodies, however. So we move on to reason #2.

Reason #2: Messages to the Alien Visitors/ Religious Purposes

Ok, upfront disclaimer, you can find really interesting statements and viewpoints from this line of thinking. I don’t believe little green men came to visit earth but many people do. There is a belief that the Nazca lines were created as navigational markers for alien visitors and communicated messages to them. Maybe saying come back? When you think that these lines are most clearly seen from the air, it does make sense that they were sending a message.

But if messages were written to the gods, what would have brought visitors from space to Nazca, Peru in the first place? Great question! Scientific research has provided an answer.

Oddly enough, there is a change in the magnetic field under some of the lines, with the field being greater on the lines. Scientists also measured electric currents on the lines. Some of the lines had the ability to conduct electricity that was 8,000 times greater than in other places not on the lines. Is there something in the earth that attracted space travelers? Did extraterrestrials visit Nazca and use it as a mine?

I am a skeptic of the alien visitor theory, but the Nazca people were highly religious people and the lines could have been created in ceremonies celebrating the gods. The Nazca used the San Pedro cactus to communicate with the gods, in touch with the spirits, and to get visions of the future. The cactus, when drunk, creates a hallucinogenic state and the lines could have been created out of the visions they saw. Small stakes and holes in the ground show researchers that the lines could have been marked out and drawn using a string and simple tools, not advanced technology from aliens.

Reason #3: Indicate Water

New lines have been discovered that researchers believe were created by the Paracas people, almost 1,000 years prior to the Nazca. These lines in the shapes of snakes, birds and zig zags have an interesting meaning. It is believed that they point to water. There are several ancient Paraca temples that are built at the intersection of lines, and when you dig at these sites, you can find water. The belief is that many of the lines are directional lines to track underground water systems- natural wells that would provide precious water in the harsh environment.

The geoglyph above was known as the candelabra, but some believe it is actually a cactus. The long line of the cactus, when extended, links to the hummingbird glyph which aligns with the sun and the beginning of the rainy season. Many of these glyphs are tied to water and mark the way of the ancient peoples to find this scarce resource. Researchers even suggest that the glyph commonly known as the astronaut should be known as the fisherman.

In Conclusion…

Water played a huge role in the lives of these people and it makes the most sense that they made markers and lines that showed them when to expect the rainy season, where to find water, and geoglyphs they created, maybe, as prayers to the gods for water.

We don’t have letters written by the Nazca spelling out the exact reasons for the lines but I am convinced that they were created with water in mind. This is a harsh environment, that gets about an inch of rain a year. Water would be a huge deal to the people, for life, for livestock, and for crops. They needed a way to show ways to water and even track the calendar to know when to expect water. The Paraca and Nazca peoples were just really creative in how they did this. Lines are fun but the geoglyphs and shapes are really amazing. I would highly encourage you to take a trip, even via Google Earth, and see their creations. Knowing some of the lines are over 2,200 years old and still visible today is absolutely amazing and, I think, one more proof of how important water was to the people of this region.

Thanks so much for reading the blog. I am so thankful for you and I would love to hear from you. Leave me a comment below about what you think about the Nazca lines, what you would have drawn in the sand, or even let me know what you like on your pizza. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Till next time,

Kimberly