NAZCA LINES

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Context:

A research team led by Masato Sakai from Yamagata University has discovered 300 new Nazca Lines in Peru using artificial intelligence.

What are the Nazca Lines?

The Nazca Lines are a collection of giant geoglyphs located in the Peruvian coastal plain.

Details about  geoglyphs and how it different from rock paintings and petroglyphs: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/geoglyphs

There are three basic types of Nazca Lines: straight lines, geometric designs, and pictorial representations.

There are more than 800 straight lines on the coastal plain, some of which are 30 miles (48 km) long. 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.

Representations

The Nazca Lines are best known for the representations of about 70 animals and plants, some of which measure up to 1,200 feet (370 meters) long. Examples include a spider, hummingbird, cactus plant, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower, tree, lizard and dog.

The Nazca people also created other forms, such as a humanoid figure (nicknamed “The Astronaut”), hands and some unidentifiable depictions.

The geoglyphs were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

How the Nazca Lines Were Created?

The Nazca culture, which began around 100 B.C. and flourished from A.D. 1 to 700, created the majority of the Nazca Lines. The Chavin and Paracas cultures, which predate the Nazca, may have also created some of the geoglyphs.

The desert floor is covered in a layer of iron oxide-coated pebbles of a deep rust color. The ancient peoples created their designs by removing the top 12 to 15 inches of rock, revealing the lighter-colored sand below.

Purpose

The geoglyphs are part of a ritual to the gods—an effort to bring much-needed rain. Some scholars point to the animal depictions—some of which are symbols for rain, water or fertility.

Must read articles:

Geoglyph:

https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/geoglyph#:~:text=The%20earliest%20known%20geoglyphs%20are,Africa%2C%20and%20the%20Middle%20East.

Geoglyphs discovered in Thar Desert: https://www.iasgyan.in/daily-current-affairs/geoglyphs-discovered-in-thar-desert

Source:

https://www.history.com/topics/south-america/nazca-lines

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/why-are-nasca-lines-among-the-worlds-greatest-mysteries/articleshow/113715371.cms

 

PRACTICE QUESTION Q.Consider the following pairs: Nazca Lines - Peru Atacama Giant - Chile Uffington White Horse - Australia How many of the above pair/s is/are correctly matched? A. Only one B. Only two C. All three D. None Answer: B Explanation: Nazca Lines, Peru: Located in the Nazca Desert, these extensive geoglyphs are renowned for their intricate designs of animals, birds, and geometric shapes. The purpose behind their creation remains a subject of ongoing research and debate. Atacama Giant, Chile: A large anthropomorphic geoglyph situated on a hillside in the Atacama Desert, the figure is thought to represent a deity or an ancient astronomical calendar. Uffington White Horse, England: A highly stylized prehistoric hill figure representing a horse, created by cutting trenches into the hillside and filling them with crushed white chalk.