The Nazca Lines

Photo by Unukorno,distributed under a CC license.

The Nazca Lines are composition of over 10,000 lines which form over 300 different designs. These designs range from hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, fish, sharks, orcas, lizards and several others.

While dating the lines themselves is very difficult Scholars have estimated that the Nazca Lines were created by the Nazca culture between 500 BC and 500 AD.

Thanks to the dry, windless and extremely rare weather changes these lines have been naturally preserved(for the most part).

The actual purpose of the Nazca Lines is still unknown. There have been many theories over the years.

Some researchers suggested the Nazca people created them to be seen by their gods in the sky. Others suggested that these designs represented constellations. Some other theories even went as far as suggesting they served for the flow of water, irrigation schemes, or maybe a part of some sort of water rituals.

While the Nazca Lines managed to endure for centuries unfortunately in recent years concerns have arisen due to threats of pollution and erosion caused by deforestation in the region. The human element has also been an major issue in recent events