The Nazca
civilization is responsible for some of the most fascinating geoglyphs on the
face of the Earth. They are commonly called the Nazca Lines. They include
everything from spiders to monkeys to sharks, orcas, and flowers. The precision
of which is incredible given that the Nazca people had no possible way of
examining their work from above. The question is however, why were they made?
Experts who have studied the ancient Nazca culture have tried to determine the
purpose of the lines and figures. One thought is that the Nazca people created
them to be seen by their gods in the sky in hopes perhaps of pleasing them. Others
have advocated a purpose related to astronomy and cosmology, that maybe the
lines were intended to act as a kind of observatory, to point to the places on
the distant horizon where the sun and other celestial bodies rose or set in the
solstices. We as a modern world have no real idea of what these ancient
civilizations may have been thinking when they constructed them. We can only
guess. We do know of course, there
aren’t any great gods looking down from the airplanes that pass over, or at
least I don’t think so. They have been left behind to be studied and marveled
at, but modern civilization is encroaching upon these figures. There are
concerns about deforestation causing possible erosion problems, as well as
pollution and environmental issues such as flooding. As of yet, the lines have
suffered no damage.
