The Nazca Lines: A New Perspective on their Origin and Meaning

Description: One of the best known archaeological sites in South America consists of large figures drawn on the desert surface near the town of Nazca in southern Peru. Some of these figures measure over 100 m in length and these larger geoglyphs can only be seen without distortion from the air The questions as to who made them and when have been answered in broad terms by archaeologists. It is believed that people living in the region of Nazca probably constructed them sometime between 300 B.C. and about 800 A.D., with some lines apparently being constructed up until the Inca conquest of ca. 1475. However, to date no satisfactory explanation has been offered as to why they were made. In this book, the lines and figures constructed on the desert surface near Nazca are analyzed in terms of mountain/fertility concepts found widely throughout the Andes. Theories to explain the geoglyphs are briefly examined. Ethnographic and historical data are presented to demonstrate that mountain worship was important at Nazca from ancient to recent times. Comparative data relating to geoglyphs in other areas are also used in the development of a theory to explain the lines and figures as part of religious practices designed primarily to insure the fertility of crops, and it is demonstrated that straight lines are still being used for this reason.

Price: 68 USD

Location: San Diego, California

End Time: 2024-12-23T19:31:08.000Z

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