The Nazca Lines are a series of geoglyphs (drawings on the ground) located in the Nazca Desert in Peru. They were created by the Nazca culture between 200 BC and 700 AD. The drawings are spread accross an incredible area of 500 sq km.

 

The mysterious Nazca lines form a striking network of over 800 lines, 300 figures, and some 70 animals and plants drawings. The most elaborate designs include a 90m long monkey, a condor with 130m wingspan, a hummingbird, spider and an astronaut. The ancient lines were made by removing sun-darkened stones from the desert sufrace to expose the lighter stones below.

 

 

But who constructed these giant lines and for what reason? The drawings can only be appreciated from the air. Since it is presumed the Nazca people could never have seen their work from this vantage point, there has been much speculation on the builders' abilities and motivations. Here are some theories:

1. The Nazca people created these figures for the gods, so only the gods could see them clearly from the sky
2. The lines were an astronomical calendar mapped out by sophisticated mathematics and a long rope
3. The lines indicate whether the ground contains water or not
4. The lines are the remains of "walking temples," where a large group of worshipers walked along a preset pattern dedicated to a particular holy entity, similar to the practice of labyrinth walking.

 

Some writers even think that the lines were created by aliens, and that they serve as a landing strip. The real meaning of these drawings remain a mystery.