Location
• Located in Peru
• About 400 kilometers south of Lima, Peru
• The Nazca Lines cover about 450 square kilometers
• Located in the Nazca Desert
• 75°S
• 14°E
Physical Features
• Located in a desert
Unique Characteristics
• Some of the lines span up to 20 km (12 mi)
• Depict living creatures, plants, and imaginary beings
• Though made thousands of years ago, nearly all depictions remain well intact
• Some of the Nazca lines can only be seen in their full magnitude from an airplane
Customs and Traditions
• Nazca culture consists of four stages (Early, Middle, Late, and Classic Nazca [250-750 AD])
• One of the most popular things of Nazca culture is polychrome pottery because of its exciting symbolism and technological modifications
• Nazca people also include mythological and religious items in their artwork
• Out of all the things that the Nazca people have ever done, the Nazca Lines outstand all of them in the eyes of today’s scientists
Climate
• Nazca Desert
• Extremely dry
• Windless
• Constant climate
• This climate has preserved the lines well
Brief History
• Made between 500 B.C. and 500 A.D.
• One of the creations from the Nazca Civilization
Social Impact
• One of the greatest mysteries on Earth because of their quantity, nature, size and stability
Cultural Impact
• There are many theories about how the Nazca Lines were formed, they include:
• Left by an alien race
• Landing strips for UFOs
• Ruins of ancient people far more advanced that were capable of human flight
• Used by farmers to keep track of farming cycles
• Indicate the flow of water
• Connected to rituals to summon water
• Fertility symbols
• Irrigation schemes
• Giant astronomical calendars
