Peru Nazca Desert. Unusual places on Google maps

A gigantic work done with extraordinary ease Yu

Lines and stripes stretch straight like rays, regardless of the relief and soil and leave a simply stunning impression.
IN There are triangles arranged in a chain along the tops of the mountains.
Back in 1947, Paul Kosok published the article “The Mysterious Markings of Nazca,” in which he included a number of photographs of ground figures taken from the air. In the preface, he stated that he was trying to "challenge" academia. However, the article has not received the proper response to this day. It is no coincidence that the author called the stripes and triangles the word “markings” - imprints, traces, marks. What is this: a figurative comparison or an intuitive guess? Most likely, this is an attempt to draw attention to something that, in terms of technique, exceeds the level of modern human capabilities. A gigantic job, but done with extraordinary ease!
Yes, all this could be done manually, if we consider each figure separately. But according to my estimates, based on measurements from the J. Hawkins expedition, the total amount of manual work to create the entire Nazca desert complex is more than 100,000 man-years, even if the Indians worked 12 hours a day. But the desert is located between two valleys that could feed only a few thousand people. Such costs in the conditions of labor-intensive irrigated agriculture must be explained by a powerful incentive, but it is difficult to distinguish it in the chaos of lines, especially among the endless decorative zigzags and whip-shaped figures. How many people could be engaged not in getting their daily bread, but in clearing stones on the plateau, without even seeing the results of their labor? And how long did it take them to do this? 100 people - 1000 years, 1000 people - 100 years or 50 people - 2000 years? Any set of numbers contradicts objective reality.

The Nazca Desert paintings were not created by humans.

Firstly, due to the characteristics of the soil and desert climate, human or horse footprints remain here for centuries. Visits to the Nazca Plateau by tourists over the past ten years have created a threat to the safety of the drawings. Therefore, the desert was declared a nature reserve, and nowadays you can see the figures by renting a small plane. How could such a labor-intensive activity not leave traces on the ground?Indeed, in photographs taken from the air in the forties, traces of human activity are visible in the form of wide, uneven spots only along the sides of the Pan-American Highway and dirt roads crossing the desert.
Secondly, there is no evidence or memories of such titanic work among the local population, who, suspecting nothing, sometimes open the figures. At supposed "sanctuaries" the Indians build pens for cattle, unaware of their existence.
Finally, one more very important question. How can one explain from the standpoint of manual execution of figures the fact that when applying (often multiple) stripes or areas, the visibility of each contour is preserved? What if you just clear the soil surface of stones? Attempts to explain this fact by time differences are untenable. If you carefully follow the course of the stripes in the complex in the image on the left, it turns out that the figures are intertwined and interconnected, and not just superimposed on each other!
Another detail that few people think about. The appearance of geoglyphs, which along their length intersect rock outcrops, does not fit into the picture of manual labor at all, while in aerial photographs this transition is invisible, although the nature of the soil clearly changes. Here the surface of the figure is no longer cleared sandy soil as in the desert, but small crushed rock with dumps along the edges. But even in this case, the visibility from above is identical to the figures made on the empty surface yni.

The scale of the work as a whole, the huge number of purely geometric figures on the Nazca plateau and the surrounding mountains, as well as on the entire South American continent - all this allows us to make the assumption that the Peruvian ground figures are really marks, or, more precisely, traces of an unknown OTHER MIND, left where accidentally, and sometimes intentionally.

INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL OF NASCAN DRAWINGS

It is difficult to understand who created these figures and why without understanding how they were made.
In the creation of any mind, a certain INTELLECTUAL POTENTIAL is accumulated, reflecting both the level of development of the mind itself and the level of technological means that it possesses. What is remarkable about the technique of constructing figures in the Nazca desert?

Similarity of geometric patterns with the path of rays in optical circuits

First of all, let's see what geometric shapes are, of which there are many times more than drawings.
The lines cleared of stones are 15-20 cm wide, and the stripes or “roads” are over 60 cm. These geoglyphs stretch in a straight line over distances of tens of kilometers. “Platforms” are triangular, trapezoidal and rectangular shapes with stone ridges along the edges. Their width does not exceed 80 m, while the length of the largest rectangle is 780 m, and the ray-shaped triangles are over 2 km. Whip-shaped figures look like small triangles with a line coming out of the top, and zigzags have a wide variety of shapes: sinusoidal e, rectangular, triangular, pipe-like. "Centers" - places from which lines radiate out in different directions - are often found on the surface of the sites, and sometimes they look like a small pile of stones.
Geometric shapes are found not only on the surface of the plateau, but also on its weathered slopes, on neighboring plateaus, and on the steep spurs of the mountains surrounding the desert. Sometimes the figures stretch in a chain along the tops of mountains. Here are their features:
- straightness: the average deviation in direction does not exceed 9 minutes (or rather, this is the limit of accuracy of the photometric survey method), i.e., the figures are drawn more accurately than can be verified using modern aerial photography methods;
- the edges of the triangular areas have the form of rollers, the dimensions of which do not change in proportion to the width, and the accuracy of the edges of lines and stripes is 5 cm with a length of many kilometers;
- the figures maintain an ideal rectilinear orientation on rough terrain;
- multilayer overlay of figures does not negatively affect the visibility of all contours, which allows you to trace the sequence of their execution (how to explain the visibility of multilayer figures - one of the key issues in solving technological problems);
- the visibility of the stripes is maintained when the nature of the soil changes;
- there is a limitation in the width of the figures with an almost unlimited length; this limitation determines the radial nature of the triangular figures (there is no figure with a divergence angle of more than 17 degrees);
- there is not a single circle or square, but there are many sinusoids and spirals - figures formed by the addition of oscillatory or rotational motion with translational one, and this indicates dynamism in the process of creating figures;
- the location and configuration of the ray-shaped figures are similar to the diagrams of geometric optics: the triangle at some point seems to bend and stretch to the side, while maintaining the divergence angle (this is how the law of light reflection is demonstrated in optics); the “bending” lines of stripes or trapezoids are always straight, like the boundaries of reflection or refraction of light; there are triangles with a changing angle of divergence, which is also similar to rays of light when the aperture of the radiation source changes;
- geometric shapes made on complex terrain retain their correct shape in photographs taken from the air from above; on the contrary, when shooting from the side, the figures have a distorted shape;
- on the plateau there are lines whose direction is astronomical: some indicate sunrise or sunset on the solstices or equinoxes, others are located strictly in the north-south direction. This suggests that there may be information embedded in the location of the figures.
Thus, the geometric figures of Nazca are characterized by a rectilinear orientation, independence from the relief and dynamism of the execution technique. The layout of lines and areas in general are very similar to the path of rays in optical circuits.

In 1939, an American archaeologist Paul Kosok, flying over Nazca Desert, discovered strange lines and shapes. Previously, no one knew about them, because they can only be clearly seen from a sufficiently high altitude. From that moment on, the study of strange figures began. German doctor of archeology Maria Reiche dedicated her whole life to this. She also achieved protection of the lines from destruction at the highest level. Now lines And geoglyphs The Nazcas are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Thanks to the desert climate, the drawings have not disappeared over the centuries, although they are very easily destroyed: after all, they are simply the top layer of soil that has been removed. But there is something to protect the lines from. Lines that have lasted for centuries can easily be destroyed by humans, because both cars and people leave noticeable marks on the surface. And the route passing right through some geoglyphs Panamericana Sur poses an even greater threat.

Many lines extend over 8 kilometers in length, and the figures can reach 250 meters in size. In the photo below - circular (360 degrees) photo panorama Nazca desert in high resolution, taken from a hill near the highway.

Currently, about 30 basic and hundreds of lesser-known designs are known, about 700 geometric figures, most of which are spirals, and about 13,000 lines of various geometries. No less interesting geoglyphs were also discovered north of Nazca - near the city Palpa. Due to their obvious similarity, we will describe them together.

Major geoglyphs of Nazca

On the map below we have highlighted the most famous geoglyphs - drawings of the Nazca desert. You can also see numerous lines on the map. Please note: the “Astronaut” figure is made at a great distance from the others - on the map below on the right, moreover, on the slope of a hill and in a different manner, this may indicate a different nature of origin compared to other geoglyphs.

Types of Nazca and Palpa figures

Conventionally, all the figures of both the Nazca desert and the Palpa desert can be divided into 6 types according to geometry:

Mysteries of Nazca and Palpa

1. Overlay weirdness. Repeatedly intersecting and overlapping lines, figures and drawings refute the theory that the drawings were made later than the lines. Because somewhere the drawings are above the lines, and somewhere vice versa. But something else is strange: the drawings and lines located on top do not destroy the drawings and lines that are under them.

   

2. Passage through terrain. If you observe the view from space, then all the lines look absolutely even. But if you take pictures from an airplane, you can see that the lines often run through rough terrain. In this case, it is not clear how it was possible to complete the lines so accurately not from a height, but while on the ground.

   

3. The manner of drawing. Almost all the drawings are made with one line, which does not intersect anywhere. The manner in which the drawings are executed strongly resembles the manner in which zigzags, spirals and parallel lines are executed - as if they were drawn with one beam under the control of a computer program.

   

4. Location of drawings. Almost all drawings are located parallel or at right angles to nearby lines.

   

5. Incoming and Outgoing Drawing Lines. Many drawings such as Hummingbird, Spider, Monkey, are drawn not as a closed line, but as coming from somewhere and returning somewhere, as if the drawings were drawn “at the same time” with the lines. Often such entrances and exits are located in the area of ​​the genital organs of the animals depicted.
   

   

6. Location of drawings. Nazca and Palpa are not the only places of the lines. The lines are scattered throughout the desert part of almost all of Peru, many hundreds of kilometers from Nazca. Well known geoglyph " Chandelier", located in Paracas and clearly visible from the Ballestas Islands.
   

   

7. Interdependence of drawings. Thin lines suddenly turn into wide ones, the line can be continued with a pattern, and the wide line ends at the intersection of another wide one.

   

The lines represent a removed layer of soil from 20 to 50 cm. But there are no embankments nearby - only very minimal ones, and there are no piles of stones in the distance. And on smooth turns of wide lines when clearing, the sides on the outer circumferences of the sides should be wider than on the inner ones. In addition, it is worth understanding that in order to draw some large stripes, you need to remove thousands of tons of such rubble from the surface.



8. Dependence on relief. Thickening of the lines often occurs with a decrease in ground level. Thick lines often break at the base of mountains or rivers. And some wide lines are located on the mountains and seem to cut off their peaks, which are almost perfectly flat.

   

9. Rows of embankments. The purpose of the rows of points - embankments - is not clear. In some places they fill wide swaths.

   

10. Unexplored artifacts. In the area of ​​the lines there are many strange formations - square and round depressions, geometrically evenly located rock formations, which scientists have not yet explored. Therefore, until this is done, it is difficult to give final versions of the purpose of the drawings.

    

11. There are no traces except lines. To draw such lines from the ground, you need to use some kind of equipment, you need the presence of people. All this would leave technological traces. Today you can see distinct traces of cars and people. Even, for example, after Greenpeace carried out its unsuccessful action and left traces, which greatly outraged the Peruvians. But the ancient lines have no traces except the lines themselves.

    

Versions of scientists

There are several main versions of the origin and purpose of the Nazca lines and geoglyphs. And they are all quite controversial.

1. Astronomical version. German researcher Maria Reiche, who devoted her life to studying the figures, came to the conclusion that the drawings were made by someone who lived in this area about 2,000 years ago. The drawings on their ceramic dishes, similar to geoglyphs, also speak for this. Radiocarbon dating proves approximately this period of appearance of geoglyphs. The drawings, according to Reiche, represent a large astronomical calendar, an open-air observatory. The calendar served to determine the time of agricultural work. Doctor Phillips Pitlugi, for example, claims that the image of a spider and the lines diverging from it resembles a cluster of stars in the constellation Orion. Modern scientists (starting with the American Gerald Hawkins) dispute this version, citing the fact that there are so many lines that of course you can find those that resemble the arrangement of stars. But what to do with the rest is not clear.
2. Religious version. This version does not dispute the version of origin, but considers release rites to be their purpose. For example, shamans walked along these stripes and called out to the souls of the dead. Or the inhabitants of Nazca tried to appeal to the gods in this way so that they would give water in the form of rain. After all, the Nazca civilization presumably died out precisely because of climate change, which gradually dried out previously fertile lands.
3. Alien scanning. This version assumes that the lines and drawings, except for the clearly anthropomorphic ones ("Family", "Llamas"), were drawn from a great height - only in this case they could be so even. It is also assumed that a computer program was used that could draw such perfectly calibrated figures. Perhaps alien creatures took soil samples, the zigzags and spirals indicate this. And thick lines may indicate the collection of minerals from the surface. For example, iron ore is present in the rocks on the desert surface. There is another interpretation of this version. An antediluvian civilization, not aliens, was looking for cities buried under layers of mud, scanning the area from above. The fact that there was a mudflow in this area is indicated by the composition of the desert soil: rounded stones in clay, and in some places the peaks of former mountains stick out. Also, the destroyed buildings of the city speak a lot about the flood.
4. Alien ships. This version says that the lines were runways. However, it is not clear why there are so many of them, why in such viscous soil, and why then the patterns and zigzags. And no traces of a possible takeoff and landing were found. But it can be assumed that the numerous lines in the sand are scanning to find a place for ships to land or take off, and since the soil is soft, the scanning continued further until the ideal place was found - in the solid mountains of Palpa. This version is supported by the fact that it is there that the stripes do not represent the removal of a couple of tens of centimeters from the surface of the soil, but as if the top of the mountain was deliberately cut off and leveled.

How to observe

The best way to observe the Nazca and Palpa lines is, of course, from an airplane. If you have purchased a tour to Peru, please note that a flight over the Nazca Lines is included. Then you don't have to worry about organizing it. Those traveling on their own should note that you must register for the flight at least a day in advance. At the same time, you can spend the night in Nazca, Ica or Paracas - they are closest to the geoglyphs.

The second option is economical. When you drive through Panamericana Sur, there are two sightseeing spots you can't miss. If you come from the south, then the first place is Hill, next to which there is a parking lot. Our panorama photo was taken from the hill (at the beginning of the article). Plus, observing from a hill - unlike flying on an airplane, you can see the lines very close. In addition, some lines are very clearly visible from the hill.

Well, the third option is a little further north along Panamericana Sur. This was done on purpose, even under Maria Reichel. tower, from which you can see 3 figures. On the one side hands And tree, and on the other - from afar the tip reptiles. Near the tower, various souvenirs dedicated to the Nazca lines and geoglyphs are sold. Entrance to the tower is paid.

You can visit the Palpa drawings; we’ll drive a little further north, but to see them it’s better to leave Panamericana Sur.

Many centuries ago, on the territory of an exotic country in which mysterious pyramids and religious buildings were perfectly preserved, there was a highly developed...

From Masterweb

Many centuries ago, on the territory of an exotic country in which the main attractions of Peru - mysterious pyramids and religious buildings - were perfectly preserved, there was a highly developed Inca civilization. However, even before its appearance, the great Nazca Empire was founded, which appeared in the desert of the same name and existed until the 2nd century AD in the south of the country. The ancient Indians had a deep knowledge of irrigation and land reclamation.

Giant drawings

The people who disappeared from the face of the earth gained fame thanks to mysterious hieroglyphs that aroused the interest of scientists. Even opinions were expressed regarding the alien origin of figures and lines discovered quite accidentally in the 20th century. Nazca geoglyphs are huge drawings painted on the surface of the earth and not intended for public viewing. Thanks to the arid climate, they are perfectly preserved.

Bizarre and invisible from the ground, the signs are made in a single manner on a huge scale. At first glance, these patterns are barely distinguishable and represent an incomprehensible interweaving of all the lines scratched in the ground. The true form of the images can only be observed from above, when the chaos takes on meaning.

Craving for self-expression

People have always loved to draw and did it on rocks, cave walls, and then on paper. From the earliest period of human existence, they have had a craving for self-expression. The oldest images are considered to be petroglyphs (symbols on rocks) and geoglyphs (signs on the ground). The unusual patterns discovered in the desert are, according to scientists, an unparalleled historical monument, the inscriptions of which were written by giant hands. At the ends forming the drawings, wooden piles were found driven into the soil, which played the role of coordinate points when starting work.

The lifeless Nazca desert, which holds secrets

Surrounded by the Andes and sandy hills, the desert is located almost 500 km from the small city of Lima. The coordinates of the Nazca geoglyphs and the mysterious plateau on which they were discovered are 14°41"18.31"S 75°07"23.01"W. The uninhabited space of the earth, shrouded in secrecy, covers an area of ​​500 square kilometers. Rare drops of rain falling on the hot surface immediately evaporated.

The ancient Indians realized that the lifeless desert was an ideal place for burials, and they built tombs in dry layers that ensured incorruptibility. Archaeologists have discovered more than 200 thousand hollow ceramic vessels decorated with patterns and stylized designs. It is believed that the finds are doubles of small bowls that served as the so-called receptacle for the soul in the grave of the deceased.

Plateau covered with intricate patterns

The surface of the natural area, covered with an unusual “engraving”, slightly reminiscent of a tattoo, is surprising. The geoglyphs of the Nazca desert are not very deep, but gigantic in size, reaching tens and hundreds of meters. Mysterious lines intersect and overlap each other, combining into intricate patterns. One of the most mysterious places on our planet looks like a gigantic drawing board.

From the nearby foothills, it is not possible to see the giant images dug into the earth's firmament: they look like separate stripes or shapeless strokes. And you can only see them from above. Thus, a bird resembling a hummingbird is about 50 meters long, and a flying condor is more than 120 meters long.

Mysterious symbols

In total, about 13 thousand Nazca lines and geoglyphs, made in the soil, were found on the plateau. They are grooves of varying widths dug into the desert surface. Surprisingly, the lines do not change due to uneven terrain, remaining perfectly smooth and continuous. Among the images there are mysterious, but very authentically drawn birds and animals. There are also figures of people, but they are less expressive.

The mysterious symbols, which upon closer inspection turn out to be huge scratches on the surface of the desert, were discovered thanks to photographs taken from an airplane in 1930. From a bird's eye view, it is clear that the mysterious drawings were created by removing the upper crushed stone, darkened by time, from the light lower layer. The black coating is called “desert tan”, consisting of a compound of iron and manganese. The exposed light soil has this shade due to the large amount of lime, which quickly hardens in the fresh air. In addition, the preservation of the geoglyphs of the Nazca Plateau was facilitated by high temperatures and the absence of winds with precipitation.

Technique for making giant drawings

This is a rather interesting technique: first, the Indians made a sketch on the ground of the future work, and each straight line of the image was divided into segments. Then they were transferred to the desert surface using stakes in the form of furrows up to 50 centimeters deep. And if it was necessary to draw a curve, then it was divided into many short arcs. Each resulting drawing was outlined by a continuous line, and the creators of the unique creations included in the UNESCO World Heritage List never saw them in their entirety. Since 1946, scientists began to seriously study unusual masterpieces.

Another secret

It is curious that the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru were applied by hand in two stages: images of animals and birds appeared much earlier than the lines and stripes superimposed on complex figures. And it must be admitted that the early phase was more advanced, because the creation of zoomorphic images required very high skill than simply cutting straight lines in the ground.

The difference between very high-quality and not very skillfully executed images is quite large, which gave rise to rumors about the creation of symbols at different times (possibly by other cultures). In addition, scientists even remembered those whom our ancestors called their gods, although official science considers them fiction, denying the existence of an ancient developed civilization. Numerous artifacts indicate otherwise, and those who lived several thousand years before us possessed the highest technologies that surpass modern capabilities.

This discrepancy indicates a difference both in the capabilities of the “artists” and in the technique of execution. If we consider that any society develops from simple to complex, experiencing ups and downs, then the level of civilization always increases. However, in this case the scheme is broken, and developed technologies are replaced by primitive ones.

Indians who imitated the drawings

It is believed that the early author of all Nazca geoglyphs (photos presented in the article) was a highly developed civilization. Precisely calibrated drawings crossing complex terrain required enormous labor costs and special skill. It is these signs that amaze scientists and tourists with their careful execution and their scope. And the Indian tribes who lived on the plateau simply tried to imitate the remaining examples. But they didn’t have many opportunities, which is why shoddy copies appeared. The facts speak of one thing: the oldest drawings were made either by representatives of another civilization, or with their direct participation.

However, not all researchers agree with this theory. They combine the two stages, making a cautious assumption that the Nazca civilization possessed a special technique of artistic expression.

Has the mystery of the Nazca geoglyphs been solved?

The images, the true purpose of which scientists cannot yet understand, are striking in their size. But why did the Indians do such a titanic job? Some researchers believe that this is a giant calendar that accurately shows the change of seasons, and all the drawings are in one way or another connected with the winter and summer solstices. Perhaps representatives of the Nazca culture were astronomers who observed celestial bodies. For example, a huge image of a spider, according to a scientist at the Chicago Planetarium, is a diagram of the star cluster of the Orion constellation.

Others are sure that the Nazca geoglyphs, which are impossible to see from the ground, have a cult meaning: this is how the Indians communicated with their gods. The famous archaeologist J. Reinhard is one of them. He sees in the kilometer-long lines of roads that led to the place of worship of deities. And all the figures of animals, insects or birds are the personification of living creatures dying without water. And he draws his conclusion: the Indians asked for life-giving moisture - the basis of life. However, most scientists do not support the version, considering it doubtful.

Still others believe that this is a kind of map of the Lake Titicaca area, only its scale is 1:16. However, no one can answer who it was intended for. And some see in the bizarre patterns a map of the starry sky transferred to the surface of the desert.

Still others, who saw the crossed lines, suggested that this was how the runway of ancient spaceships was designated. Scientists examined an ancient cosmodrome in a plateau formed by mudflow deposits. But why do aliens plying interstellar space need such primitive visual cues? In addition, there is not a single evidence of the use of the desert for take-off or landing of aircraft. But the number of supporters of the alien version is not decreasing.

Still others claim that all images of people, animals and birds were made in memory of the Flood.

Sixth put forward a hypothesis according to which the ancient Nazca Indians mastered aeronautics, which is confirmed by the found ceramic products. They clearly show symbols resembling balloons. That is why all Nazca geoglyphs are visible only from a great height.

Trident on the Paracas Peninsula (Peru)

To date, there are approximately 30 hypotheses, each of which tries to explain the strange masterpieces of the Indians. One cannot fail to mention another interesting hypothesis. Some archaeologists who saw the image of the giant trident El Candelabro, more than 128 meters long, on the slope of the Pisco rock on the Paracas Peninsula, believed that it contained the key to the solution. The gigantic figure is visible only from the sea or air. If you mentally draw a straight line from the middle prong, it will turn out that it is directed towards the Nazca Desert (Peru) covered with strange lines. The geoglyph was made several hundred years before the birth of Christ.

Nobody knows who created it and why. Researchers believe that it is a symbol of the mythical Atlantis, which contains important information about our planet.

An ancient irrigation system?

Several years ago, archaeologists who studied the geoglyphs of the Nazca Desert, visible even from space, stated that the spiral lines that ended in funnels were the oldest aqueducts. Thanks to an unusual hydraulic system, water appeared on the plateau, where drought had always reigned.

An extensive system of canals distributed life-giving moisture to those areas where it was needed. Wind entered through holes in the ground, which helped drive away the remaining water.

The craftsmanship of the ancient Indians

Other questions arise regarding mystical patterns. Our contemporaries are surprised how the ancient Indians created trenches more than a kilometer long in rough terrain. Even using modern geodetic measurement methods, drawing a perfectly straight line on the ground is quite difficult. But the Nazca Indians (or representatives of another civilization) did it very easily, cutting ditches through ravines or hills. Moreover, the edges of all lines are ideal parallel.

Unusual find

Recently, not far from the desert, in which unique drawings were found that are traces of an ancient civilization, an international expedition discovered an unusual mummy with three fingers and toes. It is the limbs that look very strange. The sensational find, strewn with white powder, looks a bit like a plaster sculpture containing a skeleton with organ remains inside. Studies have shown that the age of the mummy is more than 6 thousand years, and the powder has embalming properties.

The genome of the individual was solved by Russian scientists, who stated that it was not a human mutant, but a representative of an extraterrestrial race. According to experts, next to the mummified body there were drawings depicting a three-fingered creature. His face can also be found on the surface of the desert.

However, not all scientists believed the Russians' findings. Many are still convinced that this is a skillfully executed fake, and the find has all the signs of a hoax.

New drawings and riddles without answers

In April of this year, the scientific world was rocked by information that new Nazca geoglyphs had been discovered using drones. 50 unknown images, damaged by time, cannot be seen with the naked eye. They were discovered not only by aerial photographs, but also by subsequent analysis using the latest technologies. It is curious that most of the half-erased drawings of various sizes are abstract patterns and warriors of the Paracas civilization.

Scientists have stated that some of the discovered symbols were made by the ancestors of the Nazca Indians. Soil erosion previously prevented the discovery: the crumbling soil of the plateau made the intricate patterns blurred. Therefore, it was not possible to view the Nazca geoglyphs from a satellite or from an airplane. And only thanks to high-resolution cameras installed on drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), clear images were obtained.

Ecological problems

For now, the mystery of the Nazca geoglyphs remains unsolved. The matter is further complicated by the fact that the plateau now has the status of a sacred zone, where archaeological excavations are prohibited. Access to the anomalous territory, reminiscent of a giant easel on which ancient “artists” left their messages, is closed.

In addition, the desert faces an environmental threat: deforestation and pollution are changing its climate. Due to frequent rains, unique creations on earth can fall into oblivion. And descendants will never know the whole truth. Unfortunately, nothing has been done to save them yet.

Everyone can admire the mysterious patterns of the desert

Travelers planning to visit Peru should remember that the plateau belongs to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and it is prohibited to visit it without permission. But tourists are loved in Nazca because they allow local residents to make a good living in a very inhospitable area. Thanks to the constant flow of foreigners, people survive.

However, anyone who wants to admire the mysterious signs can do so without even leaving home. It is necessary to launch a special program demonstrating satellite images of the planet. Let us recall once again the coordinates of geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert – 14°41"18.31"S 75°07"23.01"W.

Kievyan Street, 16 0016 Armenia, Yerevan +374 11 233 255

These gigantic drawings are visible only from a great height: only when flying by plane over the Nazca plateau, which is located in the southern part of Peru, can you see this “art gallery” on the ground, consisting of images of birds and animals, flowers and insects. The regular contours of a lizard, hummingbird, monkey, condor and spider are intersected by numerous straight lines, spirals, triangles, trapezoids and other geometric shapes.

Where did this heritage come from, what was the purpose of the ancient artists who created desert masterpieces, and, finally, what technologies allowed them to maintain the ideal proportions of the drawings, the size of the smallest of which is 46 meters, and the largest - the pelican - reaches 285 meters? These questions have occupied the heads of scientists from the very moment the Nazca geoglyphs were discovered - since 1939, when a plane with an American archaeologist on board flew over the desert.

The technique for making all the drawings is the same: the outline of the image is a single unbroken line that stretches for tens and hundreds of meters and often crosses hills, depressions and dry river beds. Tell me, how, without the help of special instruments and control from a height, was it possible to draw all these straight lines, curves and broken lines, without ever deviating even half a degree from the given direction?

Yes, hundreds of meters - the lines of some geometric shapes stretch for 8 kilometers! Without the opportunity to rise high above the “canvas”, it is more than difficult to get an idea of ​​the nature of the drawing and, moreover, the correctness of the direction taken. And that is not all. Careful studies of drawings and figures have shown that all geoglyphs are subject to strict mathematical laws.

How were these “canvases” created? Like many other geoglyphs, with the help of digging trenches: moving along a given contour, the ancient creators plowed the desert earth, digging up soil along the entire length of the pattern, 120-140 cm wide and 25-35 cm deep. Due to the peculiarities of the semi-desert climate, the drawings of the Nazca plate have survived to this day.

Another mystery that haunts researchers: how did it happen that the workers digging numerous trenches (remember that some lines are several kilometers long) did not leave any traces of their presence - at least trampled paths? By and large, pundits do not have exact answers to any of the pressing questions - only hypotheses.

Except that the time of creation of the drawings and lines was determined relatively accurately - the geoglyphs were formed before the 12th century, when the Incas settled the valley. This means that the authorship of the marvelous patterns is attributed to the predecessors of the Incas - the Nazca civilization. One can only guess about the purpose of creating a “gallery” in the desert. Based on the fact that the huge paintings are visible only from a great height, it is logical to assume that the ancient people who inhabited the desert tried to communicate with the deities in this way.

According to other versions, representatives of the Nazca civilization tried to reproduce a celestial map of constellations using patterns and drawings or transmitted an encrypted message to someone. One of the idle assumptions is completely devoid of common sense: supposedly the signs inscribed on the face of the earth served as a landing strip for alien ships. One thing is clear: there are still far more questions in the matter of the geoglyphs of the Nazca plateau than answers - huge drawings in the middle of the desert remain an unsolved mystery to this day.

Geoglyphs on the Nazca Plateau, like the famous lost city of the Incas Machu Picchu, are one of the most mysterious attractions of Peru. Giant geometric figures depicting triangles, spirals, lines, constellations, as well as a monkey, a spider, flowers, an astronaut and a hummingbird with a wingspan of more than two hundred meters were created between the 1st and 5th centuries AD. There is still no consensus on the origin of patterns made with deep furrows and the purpose of their creation, despite many years of research.

The Nazca Lines were first noticed in 1939 by American archaeologist Paul Kosok, who was flying over the plateau. He saw that the lines recorded the phases of the moon and indicated certain constellations. It was impossible to detect such parallels from the ground; The figures can only be distinguished to this day only from the air. Subsequently, Maria Reiche was engaged in their research, and many drawings were discovered with her help. According to Reiche, the desert geoglyphs are the largest open-air star calendar in the world. In total, on the Nazca plateau you can find about thirty designs, 788 different geometric shapes, including trapezoids, triangles and spirals, and thousands of lines and stripes. In 1994, the geoglyphs were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

To travel to the Nazca plateau, choose light, light-colored clothing and closed shoes with hard soles. The best time to view desert geoglyphs is from December to March, when you can count on clear, sunny weather. The temperature during this period does not fall below +27°C. Even when setting out early in the morning or at dusk, do not forget about sunscreen and a hat.

In addition to the geoglyphs, there are several other interesting sights on the Nazca Plateau. In particular, you can visit the ruins of Cahuachi - the most important and powerful city of ancient civilization, where excavations are still ongoing. 5 kilometers east of Nazca are the Cantayoc aqueducts, and 30 kilometers south is the necropolis of Chauchilla (El cementerio de Chauchilla), most of the burials date back to the 5th-6th centuries. The mummies were found in the first half of the last century, but the necropolis was recognized as an archaeological site only in 1997.

How to get there

The Nazca Plateau is located 380 kilometers southeast of Lima. The path runs along the picturesque Pacific coast, along Highway 1S. The most convenient way to get from the capital to the city of Nazca is with a transfer to Ica; The average bus journey takes seven and a half hours. Tickets must be purchased in advance, at least one day in advance. Be careful: from Lima, buses from different transport companies (Oltursa, Cruz del Sur, TEPSA) depart from different terminals; for example, TEPSA flights depart from the terminal of the same name, located on Avenida Javier Prado. However, starting points are not always located in the city center. One-way fares range from 65 PEN (~$20.8) to 140 PEN (~$44.8) per person. Buses depart several times a day, including late in the evening and at night.

The best way to see the geoglyphs on the Nazca Plateau is to take one of the small Cessna plane tours offered by local agencies. In good weather, most designs and lines can be seen from the air; guides navigate the desert's most famous sites, including those featuring monkeys, spiders, hummingbirds and other animals.

The routes start from the cities of Nazca and Lima. Excursions should be booked in advance: the number of seats on planes is limited (usually no more than five passengers), and it is unlikely to be possible to organize such a trip on the spot. Their cost from the city of Nazca, for example, starts at $150 per person; The price includes transfer from the hotel to the airfield, flights and the services of a local guide. These tours operate daily, mostly in the morning, but departure times and travel duration depend on the number of flights scheduled for the day and weather conditions. On average, the excursion takes a little over half an hour.

Organized excursions from Lima will cost more; their prices start at $350 per person. This price includes transfer to the Nazca airfield, watching a short film about the desert lines, flight, as well as lunch in a traditional restaurant and a visit to the observation deck on the way back.

Helicopter excursions over the Nazca plateau are organized by several specialized travel companies. The cost of such a trip starts from $350 per person; flights operate daily. The duration of the excursion is 40 minutes, including the flight time - 25 minutes. The minimum number of passengers is two people.

Another option for viewing the Nazca Lines is the observation deck on the Panamericana Highway (El Mirador). The cost of visiting is 2 PEN (~$0.6) per person. In this case, due to the great distance of the drawings, it will be possible to see only two of them.

Location

The Nazca Plateau is located in the province of the same name in the Ica region, which lies almost in the center of the Pacific coast.