Situated along the coast of Peru, around 250 miles from Lima, the Nazca Lines encompass an area once occupied by an extremely developed society, which adopted advanced farming methods to allow for irrigation systems, improved crops and an expansion of farming land. The Nazca tribe were immensely skilled not only in agricultural techniques but also in art. They displayed outstanding skills in weaving, pottery, and architecture, however were sadly unable to ward off the vicious attacks of the Spanish conquest and were rapidly defeated. Undoubtedly the most resounding symbol of this ancient tribe is the Nazca Lines.

Although the purpose of these ground drawings has not been fully established many archaeologists ascribe religious significance to them as the lines are thought to have been attempt by the Nazca people to display their work to their gods in the sky. Another theory maintains that the lines had astronomical and cosmological purposes and that they 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.

An usual conclusion came to the fore in the 1950s when UFO sightings began to increase. Many people looked back to ancient symbols and artifacts as example of extraterrestrial activity, the Nazca Lines provided one of these examples. One writer suggested that the Lines were intended as signals to interplanetary visitors. While this theory is highly sceptical it displays the interest and mystery surrounding these elusive drawings.

The work involved in creating these lines was vast. Spanning an area of nearly 500 square km and with the largest figure approximately 270m, the Nazca tribesmen embarked on a huge and complex task.

Interestingly the enormity of the Nazca Lines took several years to be discovered. Many people walked along the geoglyphs unaware of the significance of what their feet were touching. While the lines made for unimpressive and meaningless scribbles at ground level, by plane the gigantic figures and lines could be fully realised.

While the Lines are one of the few surviving reminders of the ancient world many are unsure how much longer they will survive. Due to an increase in pollution and erosion in the area many fear that the Nazca Lines could be gradually erased.

The Nazca Lines in Peru serve as further reminder of the immense and powerful talent and skills of the ancient civilisations. The sheer scale of the drawings propels the Lines into awe´-inspiring magnificence. An unmissable experience, to view these Lines is truly to view the beauty of the world.

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