Verified14.6975° S · 75.1350° W · 588 m
Nazca Lines
Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa · Pampas de Jumana Geoglyphs
Early Intermediate Period, Paracas to Nazca culture·Paracas / Nazca·🇵🇪 Ica Region, Peru
Wikipedia contributors · CC (see file page)
About
About Nazca Lines
Over 300 geometric and figurative geoglyphs etched by removing dark desert pavement to reveal light subsoil across 450 km² of arid Pampas, including 1.8 km hummingbird, monkey, spider, and trapezoids up to 370 m long, created 500 BCE–500 CE.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Visible only from air – intended viewers?
- 02Method of large-scale surveying without aerial perspective
Theories
- 01Pilgrimage paths aligned to water sources and solstices
- 02Pseudoarchaeology alien-runway claims debunked by archaeology
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- 500 BCE – 500 CE (peak Nazca 100 BCE–300 CE)
- Period
- Early Intermediate Period, Paracas to Nazca culture
- Culture
- Paracas / Nazca
- Purpose
- Ritual pathways, calendrical / astronomical markers, water and fertility cult
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
500 BCE – 500 CE (peak Nazca 100 BCE–300 CE)
Initial construction
c. 1013 CE
Rediscovery
On the ground
Structures & features
14.6975° S · 75.1350° W · 588 m · 4 mapped features
Gallery