[WorldUrbanLegend] Nazca geoglyphs
In the area around Nasca, located about 400 kilometers south of Lima, the capital of Peru, there are gigantic drawings etched into the ground. These include over 30 figures, such as a spider, whale, monkey, hummingbird, and giant human-like figures, along with more than 140 geometric patterns like spirals, straight lines, and triangles. Each of these drawings can measure up to 300 meters in size, making them so vast that they can only be fully appreciated from the air. Although these geoglyphs are believed to have been created around 300 BCE, their immense size and complexity have long been used as evidence for theories about ancient advanced civilizations. Recently, AI technology has helped discover more than 300 additional figures.
The giant geoglyphs were first discovered in 1939 by a pilot flying over the southern region of Peru. The reason for their discovery was that, due to their enormous size, only the lines of the figures were visible from the ground, and their full form could only be appreciated from the sky. In 1948, Paul Kosok, an agricultural economist from Long Island University, began studying the figures, followed by Maria Reiche, a German former schoolteacher who assisted Kosok and later continued the research, achieving great success.
The reasons for creating these massive Nasca geoglyphs have sparked many theories. Maria Reiche suggested that they were created by the Nasca people for astronomical purposes. In fact, the same bird figures depicted in the geoglyphs are found on Nasca pottery. The difficulty in creating these geoglyphs could be overcome by a civilization with enough knowledge of geometry and measurement, but the challenge lies in the fact that these drawings are only visible from the sky. Some theories suggest that they were markers for extraterrestrial spacecraft landings, citing strange human-like figures and straight lines resembling runways as evidence. However, this theory is widely regarded as implausible.
There are also speculations that the Nasca people invented hot air balloons and used them to oversee the creation of the geoglyphs from the sky, though there is no definitive archaeological evidence for this. The most widely accepted theory is that the geoglyphs were created for religious or ritualistic purposes, similar to the ceremonial paths used by some Native American tribes during religious processions.
The reason these gigantic drawings have not eroded over time is largely due to the desert climate. The area receives very little rain, and the winds are weak, which has helped preserve the geoglyphs for over 10,000 years. Additionally, human activity in the region after the Middle Ages was minimal, which further helped protect them. In fact, in 1955, the Peruvian government attempted to flood the area and destroy the geoglyphs, but Maria Reiche’s passionate opposition prevented this. She spent her life studying and preserving the Nasca geoglyphs and was honored with a medal by the Peruvian government in 1979. After her death, she was regarded as a national hero, and the house where she lived has been turned into a museum.
However, today, many of the geoglyphs are being destroyed due to construction projects, such as highways. A prominent example is the Nasca lizard figure, whose tail was severed due to the construction of the Pan-American Highway. Many blame corrupt officials and businesses in Peru for destroying these ancient drawings for their own gain, though corruption and business misdeeds are common in the country, making it a tragic situation.
