Who built the Nazca Lines and why? Scientists believe that the majority of lines were made by the Nasca people, who flourished from around A.D. 1 to 700. Certain areas of the pampa look like
Who built the Nazca Lines and why?
Scientists believe that the majority of lines were made by the Nasca people, who flourished from around A.D. 1 to 700. Certain areas of the pampa look like a well-used chalk board, with lines overlapping other lines, and designs cut through with straight lines of both ancient and more modern origin.

Who first discovered the Nazca Lines?
archaeologist Toribio Mejia Xesspe
The region has been of interest to historians since the 1920s, when Peruvian archaeologist Toribio Mejia Xesspe first discovered mysterious lines carved into the landscape.
What did Maria Reiche do?

German mathematician and archaeologist Maria Reiche (1903-98) researched the Nazca Lines, beginning in 1940, and helped secure recognition for them. They are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Who is known as the Lady of the lines?
She is known for her research into the Nazca Lines, which she first saw in 1941 together with American historian Paul Kosok. Known as the “Lady of the Lines”, Reiche made the documentation, preservation and public dissemination of the Nazca Lines her life’s work….
Maria Reiche | |
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Fields | Archaeology |
What is the mystery of the Nazca Lines?
The purpose of the lines continues to elude researchers and remains a matter of conjecture. Ancient Nazca culture was prehistoric, which means they left no written records. One idea is that they are linked to the heavens with some of the lines representing constellations in the night sky.
What is the most famous Nazca line?
hummingbird
The Nazca Lines are perhaps best known for the representations of about 70 animals and plants, some of which measure up to 1,200 feet (370 meters) long. Examples include a spider, hummingbird, cactus plant, monkey, whale, llama, duck, flower, tree, lizard and dog.
How do you pronounce Maria Reiche?
Reiche (pronounced RYE-kuh) was the acknowledged and acclaimed curator of the Nazca lines.
What made the Nazca Lines?
The Nazca Lines /ˈnæzkɑː/ are a group of very large geoglyphs made in the soil of the Nazca Desert in southern Peru. They were created between 500 BC and AD 500 by people making depressions or shallow incisions in the desert floor, removing pebbles and leaving differently colored dirt exposed.
When did Paul Kosok discover the Nazca Lines?
The lines were discovered in 1939 by Paul Kosok, a Long Island University professor who was on a research mission to study the ancient irrigation system used by pre-Inca civilizations in the coast of Peru.
Who was the first person to study Nazca?
Paul August Kosok (21 April 1896 – 1959), an American professor in history and government, is credited as the first serious researcher of the Nazca Lines in Peru. His work on the lines started in 1939, when he was doing field study related to the irrigation systems of ancient cultures.
Why was the Nazca Lines important to Peru?
His work began in 1939 when he found an interest in irrigation systems of ancient cultures. This led him to the research in the Nazca Lines of Peru. After years of research, he realised that the lines were too shallow to play a role in the irrigation system.
Why did Paul Kosok do his research in Peru?
Kosok did field studies in Peru in 1940-1941 and 1948-1949, becoming more involved in anthropology as a result of this direction of research. He went to Peru to study the ancient canal systems, “reconstruct the maximum areas of pre-Columbian cultivation, and assess the relation of irrigation to settlement patterns”.