Nazca Lines

04.12.2024

Nazca Lines

Why in the news?

Recently, artificial intelligence was used by the researchers to discover more mysterious Nazca geoglyphs in Peru.

About Nazca Lines:

• Nazca Lines are a group of geoglyphs, or large designs made on the ground by creators using elements of the landscape such as stones, gravel, dirt or lumber.
• These are located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain, some 400 km south of Lima.
• The Nazca Lines were discovered by hikers in the mid 1920s and later on Peruvian archaeologist Toribio Mejia Xesspe studied them systematically in 1926.
• These are believed to be the greatest known archaeological enigma, owing to their size, continuity, nature and quality.
• They depict creatures from both the natural world and the human imagination.

○They include animals such as the spider, hummingbird, monkey, lizard, pelican and even a killer whale. Ancient artisans also depicted plants, trees, flowers and oddly shaped fantastic figures, as well as geometric motifs, such as wavy lines, triangles, spirals and rectangles.

• The vast majority of the lines date from 200 B.C. to A.D. 500, to a time when a people referred to as the Nazca inhabited the region.
• The earliest lines, created with piled up stones, date as far back as 500 B.C.
• The Lines were declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994.

What are Geoglypgs?

• Geoglyphs are motifs created on the ground by manipulating surface stones, soil, or gravel.

                                                       Source: Indian Express

With reference to Nazca Lines, consider the following statements:

1. These are groups of geoglyphs located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain.

2. These designs consist only of geometric motifs, such as wavy lines and triangles.

3. These are designated as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

How many of the above statements are correct?

A.Only One

B.Only Two

C.All three

D.None

Answer B