Lines in the Desert
Tuesday January 29, 2008 8:20 AM
In the Nazca desert plains of southern Peru, strange markings and designs have been the source for frenzied speculation and controversy over the years. Over nearly 500 square miles of desert, about 300 geometric shapes are etched into the sand. The shapes, called geoglyphs, were first spotted when commercial airlines began flying over Peru in the 1920s. The lines and shapes seem to make up various designs when viewed from the air, including figures of animals, plants, man-made objects and anthropomorphic figures.
The designs are unique and mysterious in many ways. The straight lines crisscross the desert plain in all directions and seem random. But many of the lines form angles, triangles, spirals, rectangles and other figures. All the figures have well-defined entrances to use as paths and seemed to have been used as gathering or travel points. The pressing question is this — how did a civilization from thousands of years ago with only simple technology manage to construct such vast and precise designs? And what were they used for? Explanations are many, but proof is scarce. Some believe the lines come from alien encounters, while others posit the lines as a celestial calendar created by the ancient Nazca civilization. Even others suggest the intervention of some ancient god, or simply a massive method of drawing worshippers towards a central pilgrimage spot.
Other geoglyphs exist across the world, most notably in Egypt, Malta, Chile, Bolivia, Australia, and Mississippi and California in the U.S. But the Nazca geoglyphs are perhaps the most impressive and puzzling, due to their numbers and characteristics. The designs have stayed put over thousands of years thanks to the exceedingly dry climate (only 20 minutes of rainfall per year) and a lack of dust or sand. But in recent years the Nazca Lines have suffered, as Incan tomb raiders burrow into the ground, copper and gold mines are built, utility companies place power cables through the site, and even advertisers and political campaigns carve messages in the area. At the rate of destruction, the Nazca Lines may not be an active source for contemplation and curiosity much longer.
Comments (3)
I adore the Nazca lines and it makes me gravely upset to think that they are being distroyed. I wish there was more being done to preserve them.
Posted by Karen | January 30, 2008 8:45 AM
Posted on January 30, 2008 08:45
there are many times i had encounter with many things even demons in the past and the present i am in Turner job corp center in Albany Ga and this place used to be a old naval base but before that many people have stated that this ground that us...the students have walked on for the longest period of time was once a cemetery but i dont know if thats true or not but i have done some research on about this center and i determined that there is indeed a place an old naval hospital that is to believed to be haunted by spirits that have been haunted in the basement of the mental hospital and i wanated the team of paranormal state to come out and investigate this place because believe it or not this place i found out about i located on the job corps center here in albay georgia and i wanted you to also try to determine what is true or not...there is a saying that has been around that people have committed suicide on the campus many years ago and people on this campus say that they have dreams of a young girl with no face and another of a girl bouncing a ball up and down the hall ways...so with that being said i would need you people of the team to come and check it out ASAP.CALL THE NUMBER 229-883-8500 DORM:4804 B Floor ADRESS:2000 SCHILLINGS AVE . THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS
Posted by LaShawn Riley | January 30, 2008 9:53 PM
Posted on January 30, 2008 21:53
when you come to this place there must be one person at a time that will ask to see me i dont want anything to look suspecious....thanks/ P.S. LaShawn Riley
Posted by LaShawn Riley | January 30, 2008 9:58 PM
Posted on January 30, 2008 21:58