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Astronaut, Nazca Lines Peru
Photo of the Week - 08/24/2008

Astronaut, Nazca Lines Peru

On a high plateau known as the pampa of San Jose, a tribal group once used the sixty miles long and five miles wide coastal plain to draw long, intricate lines on the desert floor. Pre-dating the Incas, this group disappeared with the Spanish conquest, leaving behind the lines, pottery, gravesites, and more questions than archaeologists and scientists can answer.

This figure, known as the astronaut is widely known. In his book "Chariots of the Gods?" Erich von Daniken's argument that the lines are the remains of a giant extraterrestrial airport, brought a flurry of students of the paranormal to the area. They came in such numbers that they threatened the lines and the area was made off-limits.

The figure is also known as the Shaman, with one hand raised in a blessing.

Read more about the mysterious Nazca Lines Nazca Lines.

Enjoy additional images of the Nazca Lines Photo Gallery .

Photo thanks to ArtToday.com

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