Nazca Lines: Peru’s Mysterious Geoglyphs

Located in the Peruvian coastal plain some 250 miles south of Lima, Peru, the Nazca Lines are a massive collection of geoglyphs, created by the ancient Nazca people of South America, approximately 1,300 to 2,000 years ago.

Size of Geoglyphs in Peru

Taken as a whole, there are more than 800 straight lines on the coastal plain—some as long as 30 miles—including rectangles, trapezoids, zigzags and spirals, along with 70 animal and plant depictions, many measuring 1,200 feet in length.

Others appear human-like, including one that has been nicknamed “The Astronaut,” leading pseudo-archeologists in the 1960s and 70s to postulate that the giant rock drawings are the result of an advanced alien culture who paid a visit to the Nazca people.

Where are the Nazca Lines?

Located in the desert plains of the Rio Grande de Nasca river basin in Peru—one of the driest places on earth—the Nazca Lines cover an area of 75,000 hectares, all created by a culture that flourished from 100 BCE to 700 AD.

Covered in a layer of iron-oxide-coated pebbles of a deep rust color, it’s thought that the Nazca people created their massive geoglyphs by removing the top foot or so of rock, thereby exposing the lighter-colored sand beneath, most likely beginning with a small-scale pre-construction model before increasing the size and scope into what can be seen today.

Researchers have long debated the purpose for these massive geoglyphs, including an homage to the gods above in hopes of sending rain to such an arid, bone-dry region. In 2015, during a presentation before the 80th annual meeting of the Society of American Archeologists, researchers argued that the purpose of the Nazca Lines morphed over time. Initially, the researchers argued, pilgrims heading to Peruvian temple complexes used the geoglyphs as a ritual processional route or routes, while later groups of Nazca people, smashed ceramic pots on the ground at the intersecting points between adjoining lines, most likely as part of a religious rite.

In 2018, Peruvian archaeologists announced the discovery of 50 more geoglyphs previously unrecorded and unknown, after they used drone technology to map the landmarks in greater detail, making the Nazca Lines one of the ongoing mysteries of ancient man.