![]() ![]() Based on the relative position of one of the lines he studied to the sun around the winter solstice, he concluded that the geoglyphs had an astronomy-related purpose. ![]() In the late 1930s and early 1940s, American historian Paul Kosok studied the geoglyphs from the ground and air. Experts have debated the purpose of the Nazca Lines since then. Toribio Mejia Xesspe, a Peruvian archaeologist, began a systematic study of the lines in 1926, but the geoglyphs only gained widespread attention when pilots flew over them in the 1930s. Given the low amount of rain, wind and erosion in the desert, the geoglyphs have remained largely unscathed throughout the centuries. Most of the known geoglyphs were formed by removing rocks from only the border of the figures (creating a kind of outline), while others were formed by removing rocks from the interior. They likely began with small-scale models and carefully increased the models’ proportions to create the large designs. The ancient peoples created their designs by removing the top 12 to 15 inches of rock, revealing the lighter-colored sand below. The desert floor is covered in a layer of iron oxide-coated pebbles of a deep rust color. The Nazca Lines are located in the desert plains of the Rio Grande de Nasca river basin, an archaeological site that spans more than 75,000 hectares and is one of the driest places on Earth. The Chavin and Paracas cultures, which predate the Nazca, may have also created some of the geoglyphs. 1 to 700, created the majority of the Nazca Lines. How the Nazca Lines Were CreatedĪnthropologists believe the Nazca culture, which began around 100 B.C. In 2016, the same team found another geoglyph, this time one that depicts a 98-foot-long (30-meter-long) mythical creature that has many legs and spotted markings, and is sticking out its tongue.Īnd in 2018, Peruvian archaeologists announced they had discovered more than 50 new geoglyphs in the region, using drone technology to map the landmarks in unprecedented detail. The Nazca people were known to collect “trophy heads,” and research in 2009 revealed that the majority of trophy skulls came from the same populations as the people they were buried with (rather than outside cultures). In 2011, a Japanese team discovered a new geoglyph that appears to represent a scene of decapitation, which, at about 4.2 meters long and 3.1 meters wide, is far smaller than other Nazca figures and not easily seen from aerial surveys. The Nazca people also created other forms, such as a humanoid figure (nicknamed “The Astronaut”), hands and some unidentifiable depictions. Examples include a spider, hummingbird, cactus plant, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower, tree, lizard and dog. The Nazca Lines are perhaps best known for the representations of about 70 animals and plants, some of which measure up to 1,200 feet (370 meters) long. ![]() Additionally, there are over 300 geometric designs, which include basic shapes such as triangles, rectangles, and trapezoids, as well as spirals, arrows, zig-zags and wavy lines. There are more than 800 straight lines on the coastal plain, some of which are 30 miles (48 km) long. Each entry exposes a diverse culture, highlighting their important contributions and committing their achievements to paper.įorgotten Peoples of the Ancient World is an immersive, thought-provoking, and entertaining book for anyone interested in ancient history.There are three basic types of Nazca Lines: straight lines, geometric designs and pictorial representations. A wide range of illustrated artifacts and artworks, as well as specially drawn maps, help to tell the stories of forty lost peoples and allow readers to take a direct look into the past. Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World covers the Hyksos to the Hephthalites and everyone in between, providing a unique overview of humanity’s history from approximately 3000 BCE–550 CE. This thorough guide explores those civilizations that have faded from the pages of our textbooks but played a significant role in the development of modern society. But for every culture that has been remembered, what have we forgotten? Our history is overflowing with different cultures that have all evolved over time, sometimes dissolving or reforming, though ultimately shaping the way we continue to live. While several of these are well known, for all those that have been recorded, many have been unjustly forgotten. The ancient world of the Mediterranean and the Near East saw the birth and collapse of great civilizations. ![]()
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