Who's+studying+the+Nazca+lines

This page will discuss some of the research being done on the lines.




Two people studying the lines are Don Proulx and David Johson. Since 1996 they have been studying the correlation between geoglyphs and water flow. They have found that the sources of fresh water have been mapped by the geoglyphs. They have also made a connection between the lines shapes and purposes.



 * “Trapezoids were found to lie directly over the track of faults and the width of the trapezoids defined the width of the fault zone... Triangles ... pointed to areas where the faults crossed the ridges or hilltops... In contrast, a zig-zag pattern located along the boundary of a geoglyph system indicated there was no water... there were always archaeological sites affiliated with the geoglyphs, geologic faults, puquios and wells.” **

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Anthony Aveni is an astronomer and anthropologist at Colgate University. The researcher found similarities between the Nazca lines and the so-called ceque system of the previous Inca capital of Cuzco. Aveni explains that the lines point to points that explain the agricultiral cycle of the area. He pointed out one line that points to a hill that signified the beginning of the growing season. When the sun rose over this hill and alligned with the lines it was time to sow seeds. Aveni also stated that any where from 2 to 40 lines could radiate from any given hilltop as these seemed to be the starting point to the lines. =====

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Another researcher from Japan has found a new set of lines, a animal with some kind of horns. This set of lines measures up to 210 ft long. They have proposed that these lines are a symbol of good hope for good crops. Though the lines have been studied in depth there is no clear answer to what the actual animal is. This is the first new line to be discovered since the 1980's It is believed that due to the movement of vehicles over the lines part of the image has been disturbed. The horns seen from the image resemble those seen on earthenware pottery from the area of 100 B.C. To A.D. 600. A time in which the Nazca culture flourished. ===== In 1983 Giuseppe Orefici began to investigate the Nasca region. Every year he brings a team of specialists to South America for 3 intensive months of excavation. Orefici has concentrated on one remarkable Nasca site, an ancient city called Cahuachi. He believes that by studying this site he can better understand the culture and the people who lived there. 