Two thousand years ago, ancient Peruvians drew lines and vast animal figures in the flat desert floor, figures which they would never see themselves, as they are only fully comprehensible from the air.
The Nazca Lines
Huge triangles, trapezoids, zig-zags, and animals. How did the ancient people of the Nazca desert achieve such geometrical precision, and what is the meaning of the drawings of giant spiders and birds? Swiss author Erich von Daniken argued in "Chariots of the Gods?" that they are the remains of a giant extraterrestrial airport. But, decades of exploration and study by German-born mathematician Maria Reiche led her to see the Nazca lines as a sophisticated astronomical observatory, created to mark risings and settings of the sun, moon and stars.
The Mystery of the Nazca Lines
By Alan F. Alford Author of 'Gods of the New Millennium', 'The Phoenix Solution' and 'When The Gods Came Down'.
Since the Nazca Lines were discovered in the 1930s, not one single theory has been put forward to explain all of the marks on the desert plain. A prominent scientist has called it 'one of the most baffling enigmas of archaeology'. However, I have recently completed an extensive worldwide study of ancient cultures which offers some intriguing new insights into this archaeological enigma.
The Lines of Peru
How were they built? Straight lines can be made easily for great distances with simple tools. Two wooden stakes placed as a straight line would be used to guide the placement of a third stake along the line. One person sights along the first two stakes and instructs a second person in the placement of the new stake. This can be repeated as many times as needed to make an almost perfectly straight line miles in length. The symbols were probably made by drawing the desired figure at some reasonable size, then using a grid system to divide it up. The symbol could then be redrawn at full scale by recreating the grid on the ground and working on each individual square one at a time.
Nazca
Click on the thumbnails for enlarged views of the figures, town of Nazca and surrounding desert area.
The Nazca Lines
Very clear photos of two of the figures.
Narrative and photos of a trip to Nazca and the flight over the lines> More photos of Nazca
More About the South Coast of Peru
| Feature Articles about Peru | Talk about Peru on the Forum |
| Peru Travel Planner | Photo Gallery |
Copyright © Bonnie Hamre 1998 - 2003
