Read between the Lines
- POSTED ON: 20 Jul, 2018
- TOTAL VIEWS: 890 Views
- POSTED BY: Rohini Ramakrishnan
- ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points
In the Nazca desert in southern Peru, South America, are a series of large ancient geoglyphs (a large design or motif on the ground, typically formed by rocks or stones, trees, gravel, earth).
Paul Kosok, a historian from Long Island University flew over the lines and discovered that some lines merged to form the shape of a bird. Another observation caused him to realise that the lines converged at the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere. Curious, he began to study the lines to find out how and why they existed. A German mathematician named Maria Reiche joined him and they said these lines were markers on the horizon to show where the sun and other celestial bodies rose on certain dates. It was Reiche who found that the etchings were clearer from the skies.
The lines are in a 500 sq km area and contain circles, squares, spirals, and other geometrical patterns. The single line etchings, at times, run for hundreds of km. The giant pictures survived the test of time because they were naturally protected.
This desert is one of the driest on Earth and maintains a temperature near 25 °C year round. The lack of wind has helped keep the lines uncovered and visible.
Alien links
It is believed that the Nazca people used simple tools and surveying equipment to make these lines.
A majority of the lines were formed on the ground by a shallow trench with a depth of 10 to 15 cm. They were made by removing the reddish brown iron oxide coated pebbles that cover the desert. Under the pebbles the clay earth is light coloured and when exposed, it is striking in its contrast with the surrounding land. This sublayer is high in lime, and in the morning mist it hardens, forming a protective layer that shields it from winds thus preventing erosion.
The Nazca people drew hundreds of simple, but large animal and human figures. The earthwork area covers an area of roughly 450 sq km, and the largest figure is about 1200 ft.
Nazca was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994. Though it is a protected site, the lines have been facing threats for some time now. Pollution, erosion and deforestation are a constant worry, as is human interference.
Scroll through these images to see Nazca as it was then and now.