Nazca Lines
Nazca Lines Peru is supposedly a geoglyphs which is situated in the Nazca Desert. Located in the Pampas de Jumana, the plateau stretches fifty miles across and links the town of Nazca with Palpa. The Nazca Lines Peru was supposedly created between 200 BC and 700 AD by the inhabitants of Nazca and is therefore symbolic to the city’s culture. If you look closely at the figures, you would realize that there are numerous animal forms and species with special regards to monkeys, fish, lizards, hummingbirds, sharks, spiders and lamas.
A close look at the Nazca Lines would reveal that they have been drawn on reddish pebbles, which when removed, reveal the color to be white. You would also notice that there are hundreds of lines and relevant figures including seventy or more human forms. The widest lines have been known to cover a distance of over two hundred meters across and are stated to be linked to the religious beliefs of the ancient civilizations. The Nazca lines have been preserved till date only because they have been untouched by the wind and rain, a privilege which has been granted only to the Nazca plateau.
Researchers are still clues as to why the lines were created in the first place but a few theorists are under the impression that the natives wished to showcase their creations the Gods above and hence they decided to draw the lines as a symbol of their love and respect towards the almighty. The hypothesis of Riche and Kosko, which were also the earliest, stated that the Nazca lines were ideally meant to highlight the sun rise and sun set with special reference to the moon as well. But this astronomical explanation was not accepted by two other leading experts by the name of Gerald Hawkins and Anthony Avein, who reasoned that there was a lack of information to prove the facts right.
John Reinhard was of the opinion that water and mountains were worshipped by the people of Nazca and this led to the formulation of Nazca lines. The inhabitants, in order to showcase their gesture towards the almighty, presented their gratitude in the form of artwork. It is also believed that instead of statues and symbols of worship, the inhabitants made use of the Nazca Lines as a symbol of worshipping God. But the presence of human and animal forms has raised questions on the theory and has forced researchers and fellow archeologists to come up with a more relevant explanation.
Another theorist is of the belief that the Nazca lines were a result and the remains of a walking temple, which was once used as a walking labyrinth to offer prayers to the local deities. In order to ensure that the water continued to flow from the Andy Mountains, residents took help from these drawings and tried to please the rain Gods as best as they possibly could. Another theorist believed that the lines were a result from the ‘Eye Of Gods’, which meant the during the solar eclipse, inhabitants took to decorating the ground with numerous art forms which included animals, reptiles, birds and human forms, to showcase their devotion towards the sun God.
Maria Reiche Center, an organization which is devoted to protecting the Nazca lines, states that this historic art form is under constant threat owing to relentless deforestation and pollution. Although the lines are ten to thirty centimeters deep, they cannot withstand heavy rainfall. Although the region does not receive heavy rainfall, it can now be in a dilemma as the weather is changing at a global sphere and a slight spell of heavy rainfall and cause immense damage to these historically and culturally significant lines. In the year 2007, the area was under the influence of mudslides and excessive rainfalls which caused some serious damage to the Pan American highway. Luckily, the Nazca area was spared of its wrath but the lesson needs to be learnt and adequate care taken to safeguard the Nazca lines.
The Main Reasons Behind The Lines
A close look at the Nazca Lines would reveal that they have been drawn on reddish pebbles, which when removed, reveal the color to be white. You would also notice that there are hundreds of lines and relevant figures including seventy or more human forms. The widest lines have been known to cover a distance of over two hundred meters across and are stated to be linked to the religious beliefs of the ancient civilizations. The Nazca lines have been preserved till date only because they have been untouched by the wind and rain, a privilege which has been granted only to the Nazca plateau.
An Unsolved Mystery
Researchers are still clues as to why the lines were created in the first place but a few theorists are under the impression that the natives wished to showcase their creations the Gods above and hence they decided to draw the lines as a symbol of their love and respect towards the almighty. The hypothesis of Riche and Kosko, which were also the earliest, stated that the Nazca lines were ideally meant to highlight the sun rise and sun set with special reference to the moon as well. But this astronomical explanation was not accepted by two other leading experts by the name of Gerald Hawkins and Anthony Avein, who reasoned that there was a lack of information to prove the facts right.
Johan Reinhard’s Theory
John Reinhard was of the opinion that water and mountains were worshipped by the people of Nazca and this led to the formulation of Nazca lines. The inhabitants, in order to showcase their gesture towards the almighty, presented their gratitude in the form of artwork. It is also believed that instead of statues and symbols of worship, the inhabitants made use of the Nazca Lines as a symbol of worshipping God. But the presence of human and animal forms has raised questions on the theory and has forced researchers and fellow archeologists to come up with a more relevant explanation.
A New Theory
Another theorist is of the belief that the Nazca lines were a result and the remains of a walking temple, which was once used as a walking labyrinth to offer prayers to the local deities. In order to ensure that the water continued to flow from the Andy Mountains, residents took help from these drawings and tried to please the rain Gods as best as they possibly could. Another theorist believed that the lines were a result from the ‘Eye Of Gods’, which meant the during the solar eclipse, inhabitants took to decorating the ground with numerous art forms which included animals, reptiles, birds and human forms, to showcase their devotion towards the sun God.
Concerns For The Nazca Art
Maria Reiche Center, an organization which is devoted to protecting the Nazca lines, states that this historic art form is under constant threat owing to relentless deforestation and pollution. Although the lines are ten to thirty centimeters deep, they cannot withstand heavy rainfall. Although the region does not receive heavy rainfall, it can now be in a dilemma as the weather is changing at a global sphere and a slight spell of heavy rainfall and cause immense damage to these historically and culturally significant lines. In the year 2007, the area was under the influence of mudslides and excessive rainfalls which caused some serious damage to the Pan American highway. Luckily, the Nazca area was spared of its wrath but the lesson needs to be learnt and adequate care taken to safeguard the Nazca lines.
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