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INFORMATION |
The
Ninth IASTED International Conference on
Computers and Advanced Technology
in Education
~ CATE 2006 ~
October 4-6, 2006
Lima, Peru
Nazca Lines, Peru
About
Nazca
Centuries ago, just two hours from Ica, 50 square km of
desert floor were covered by vast drawings, figures of mammals,
insects, and deities. The Nazca Lines, discovered in 1927,
are the most extraordinary legacy left by a culture that
flourished in 300 BC. The lines are a series of complex
designs, some up to 300 meters long, which can only be seen
in their true dimension from the sky at an altitude of at
least 1,500 feet. The Nazca culture is not believed to have
been capable of manned flight. But the question remains
as to how they crafted the drawings, what technology they
used and what purpose the lines served.
The town of Nazca
was founded in 1591 by the Spaniards, on the valley of Nazca,
close to towns inhabited by old civilizations that had been
dominated by the Inca.
The ancestral name was Nanasca.
Nazca is a gentle town, slowly developing, in which the
main economic activity is based on agriculture and trade.
Tourism to this area is related directly with the Nazca
Lines and other archaeological complexes such as Cahuachi,
Estaquería, Chauchilla Cemetery, and Paredones. In
the city you will find many ceramic artisans whose style
recalls their ancestor. Nazca has comfortable hotels, restaurants,
banks, Internet cabins, and an aerodrome.
Nazca offers a unique place in the world, full
of mystery and mysticism, wonderful lines of immense figures
and lines, of spectacular perfection, works of a very old
Peruvian civilization, the lines of Nazca.
Location:
Central Coast, 1,929 feet (588 m.) above se level
Distances:
460 Km (286 miles) from Lima
135 Km (84 miles) from Ica
205 Km (127.4 miles) from Paracas
566 Km (351.8 miles) from Arequipa
Who drew the lines in the sand?
How?
Ancient religion? Aliens from outer space? Ancient astronomers?
A megalomaniacal artist? Water sources?
Since discovery by American scientist Paul Kosok
in 1939, the lines on the rocky Peruvuan Pampa San
Jose near the small desert town of Nazca
have perplexed scholars. Originally thought to be the remains
of irrigation lines beyond the verdant Nazca valley, it
wasn't until they were seen from the air that the lines
were recognizable as figures.
The lines are a variety of geometrical figures, trapezoids,
triangles, and lines, plus marine, animal and bird figures
of hummingbirds, a whale, a monkey, a spider, a bird likened
to a pelican, another like a condor, and one called the
astronaut. They range in size up to 1000 ft (300m) across
and are about 2000 years old. See photos.
The lines are thought to have been etched on the Pampa Colorada
sands by three different groups: the Paracas people 900-200
BC, Nazcas 200 BC-AD 600 and the settlers from Ayacucho
at about 630 AD.
The Nazca were potters, like the Moche, and their pottery
shows their daily life.
The drawings drew the attention of German mathematician
Maria Reiche, who worked as Kosok's translator.
She studied the lines from the 1940's to her death in 1998.
She lived nearby, walked and photographed the lines, drew
maps, developed theories, and drew the attention of the
world to Nazca.
Maria Reiche developed the theory that the ancient Peruvians
drew the lines to please the gods and secure their good
will. She called the desert an astronomical calendar to
remind the gods that the desert was dry and needed water;
that crops needed blessings; that the seas needed fish.
There are theories that the figures correspond to constellations
and the annual change of the seasons. Other theories contend
that the figures represent a pantheon of gods and goddesses
and were the site of religious ceremonies.
Other theories, such as Erich von Daniken
who argued in "Chariots of the Gods?" that they
are the remains of a giant extraterrestrial airport, brought
a flurry of students of the paranormal to the area. They
came in such numbers that they threatened the lines and
the area was made off-limits. Dr. Reiche had guards posted
to make sure no further damage was done to the lines. Though
they have survived 2000 years of wind and occasional rain,
the lines on the desert floor cannot withstand pedestrians,
horses and vehicles.
The Nazca Lines are now a UNESCO World Heritage
Site and one of the most popular tourist destinations in
Peru.
Candelabro, Paracas.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel
Geoglyph of a monkey, Nazca.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel.
Geoglyph of a hummingbird, Nazca.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel.
Geoglyph of a spider, Nazca.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel.
Useful
Links:
http://www.go2peru.com/nazca_travel_guide.htm
http://www.go2peru.com/gal_nazca01.htm
http://inkasperu.com/tours/nazca_lines/nazca_lines_1n.html
http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/southamerica/a/PerNazca.htm
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