Learn about the famous Nazca Lines, ancient geoglyphs in southern Peru. Located in the heart of the Peruvian desert, they are among history's greatest mysteries!
The Nazca Lines have puzzled scholars and intrigued travelers for centuries. Carved into the arid landscape by the ancient Nazca culture (and even some by the Paracas culture), these geoglyphs span vast expanses, forming intricate shapes and patterns visible only from the sky. There are even animals, birds, and flowers.
But what secrets do these lines hold? Who built the Nazca lines? Are they ancient astronomical calendars, messages to the gods, or perhaps pathways for ceremonial processions? Join us as we uncover the most compelling theories surrounding these captivating creations.
This video addresses some of the most compelling theories surrounding these captivating creations. From the iconic Spider Nazca Lines to the mysterious geometric figures, each glyph speaks to the Nasca people and their remarkable ingenuity.
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NOTE: Nazca can also be spelled Nasca.
Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
CHAPTERS 0:00 Introduction to the Nazca Lines in ancient Peru 0:31 Nasca civilization on Peru’s south coast 0:56 Earthworks and geoglyphs 1:45 Subject matter of the Nasca Lines 2:19 Focus on the hummingbird geoglyph 2:55 The reasons for making the Nazca Lines and ongoing mysteries 3:50 Possibility of ritual pilgrimage 4:12 Making the Nazca Lines 4:37 Climate change and UNESCO World Heritage status
Main artworks: Nazca Lines, c. 500 BCE–500 CE, geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert, Peru
Do you like adventure and mystery? Well, I know I do.
Hi, I'm Lauren, and today we're traveling to the Nazca Desert in Peru,
where an ancient civilization called the Nazca once created
mind-boggling and enormous artworks in the desert.
But hold onto your hats, because this adventure is like no other.
It involves giant hummingbirds, mysterious lions,
and an ancient puzzle just waiting to be solved.
Picture this. A long time ago, from about 100 to 800,
the Nazca civilization flourished in the Nazca Desert of Peru's south coast.
The Nazca were not a unified people,
but rather dispersed into different independent populations
that interacted with one another.
They created wonderfully colorful pottery and giant earthworks,
and they favored subjects showing the natural world.
But what's an earthwork, you ask?
Well, it's like using the ground as a giant canvas.
Now here's where it gets wild.
In the vast, dry desert, the Nazca people created massive geoglyphs,
also known as the Nazca Lines.
These aren't just any drawings. Some of them are more than 2,500 years old,
and they are designs made on the ground using natural landscape elements.
The Nazca Lines are the most famous geoglyphs in the world today.
Some of them predate the Nazca people, even.
And they were possibly made by the earlier Paracas culture
that the Nazca might be related to.
The Nazca Lines date to between 500 BCE and 500 CE,
so they span about 1,000 years in creation.
These monumental geoglyphs are made on hillsides and a flat desert floor.
More than 350 have been found so far,
and they show an impressive range of forms with lots of animals, so I love them.
Some of the most well-known are a hummingbird.
There's also a condor, a monkey, a whale, a spider,
pelican, a lizard, a dog, and even a snail.
There's also a human-like figure, sometimes called the giant,
as well as a pair of hands, a flower, and also a tree.
So there's this incredible range of images.
Let's zoom in on one of their greatest geoglyphs.
That is the hummingbird.
It's not your regular-sized hummingbird.
It's over 300 feet long.
That's one big bird.
That's like having a bird as big as a roller coaster.
You can't even see these geoglyphs when you're on the ground.
You have to climb up high or take to the skies in a tiny plane to get the best view.
Talk about a real high-flying adventure.
The hummingbird is shown from above with its long characteristic beak
and outstretched wings, as if we're flying above it.
Seeing it from this perspective is something called a bird's-eye view.
But wait, why did they even make these lines?
Who are they for?
Well, my curious friends, that's the mystery we're still trying to solve.
Some folks think it was for rituals.
Others say it might have something to do with the stars or even finding water in the desert.
You can imagine how important water sources would be
for anyone living in this dry desert environment.
In some ways, it's kind of like the Nazca left us a puzzle
and we're the detectives trying to crack the code.
Something that I find fascinating about them
is that if you were to walk the line of one, say, of the monkey,
you'd never cross over another line that forms the monkey.
So if I started at the end of the monkey's tail,
I'd eventually make it right back to that same point.
It's just one long continuous line that forms the outline of each image.
All the Nazca lines are made this way,
and that suggests that it was a specific and intentional choice made by the Nazca people.
But why?
Pottery found along the lines, as well as remains of food,
suggest that maybe the lines were used in ritual pilgrimage somehow,
meaning people would travel here to walk the lines in a specific way
during a particular ceremony, perhaps.
It's been estimated that if you walk the lines, it's about 800 miles.
Now let's talk about how they made these mind-blowing creations.
It seems they used string and stakes to help mark them out.
They would have required a lot of people to make them.
Using the strings as guides, they'd scrape away the topsoil of red-brown pebbles
to reveal an underlayer of yellowish soil so we have this pairing of different colors.
Now the super dry desert helped these lines stick around for us to marvel at today,
but with climate change.
Conservationists are keeping a watchful eye on our ancient line friends.
Now the Nazca lines are also a UNESCO World Heritage Site,
which means that they are protected for their immense cultural and historic value.
The Nazca lines are so important, not just as drawings in the sand,
but as a reminder of the Nazca people's incredible creativity and genius.
And that, my friends, is our journey into the fantastic Nazca Desert,
where ancient mysteries unfold in every line and curve.
Until next time, stay adventurous!
