The Nazca geoglyphs are not unique; similar activity, as indicated by many sources, is found throughout the western coast of South America. For example, Peruvian archaeologist Aurelio Rodriguez provides a map with regions (black and white) where ancient geoglyphs are found. There is no detailed information on this map, and, rather, here the primitive geoglyphs, considered at the beginning of the second chapter, are mostly taken into account. We are interested in lines and drawings, similar to those that we examined in detail in the previous chapters. And it turns out that there are a lot of similar geoglyphs (the points described below are marked on the color map):
Let's start in order, from south to north.
Geoglyphs of the Atacama Desert in Chile (approx. 800 km south of Nazca). Unfortunately, nothing can be said about age, but a rather primitive attempt to imitate the Nazca lines is clearly visible.
Fig. 2. Geoglyphs of the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Further. Lines near Ica and Pisco. In terms of creation technology, they are often similar to Nazcan t-lines, sometimes with perfect straightness, structures on the lines, combinations (only unfolded are observed); Unfortunately, time and human activity have left us not many copies in this region. Some well preserved:
Promotional video:
They worked, it seems, using the same technologies as those of Nazca.
In the Pisco area, there is another one-of-a-kind earth structure that is considered ancient. This is a strip about 20 meters wide and about one and a half kilometers long, consisting of small holes - holes: Fig. 6.
Figure: 6.
Not a single suggestion was found regarding the purpose of this strange structure.
Figure: 7. Geoglyphs of the Atacama Desert in Chile. Map with the lost geoglyphs.
A few examples:
The style is slightly different from the Nazca lines, but nevertheless, you can see something similar to rolled combinations and structures of stone on the lines.
Before going further, we need to return to the Nazca plateau for a short while and consider another very few types of lines. I call them wrong. There are very few of them, they resemble roads, they are not always straightforward, they have an irregular width (from 10 to 40 meters or more), they can appear and disappear without a visible reference to any objects:
An example of combining irregular lines into an expanded combination (two fairly rectilinear fragments of irregular lines are strung on a marking line that stretches between the "centers"):
As you can see, on these lines there are also structures of stone, sometimes located like a pair of platforms at the narrow end of the trapezoid, or just at the boundaries of the line.
The next item is Caral. Some researchers consider it to be the oldest urban-type settlement in Peru. In Google Earth, almost nothing is visible here, but the American anthropologist David Johnson in his work mentions the lines near Caral:
Figure: sixteen.
Kasma. Many researchers note a large number of geoglyphs in the area. In Google Earth, mostly irregular lines like the ones described above are visible:
It resembles a road network with intersections, but sometimes the lines run into mountains (Fig. 24)
Figure: 24.
or just nowhere, have structures at the borders, and are slightly wide for roads (up to 50 meters or more). There are lines with heaps of stones, just like Nazca: Fig. 25.
Figure: 25.
David Johnson and Aurelio Rodriguez in their work mention biomorphic drawings and geometries, including fairly large trapezoids in the area. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything in Google or any photos. In general, Kasma is one of the largest archaeological complexes in Peru. Here are located such monuments as Sechin, Chanquillo, Pampa de las Llamas. The last point should be specially noted. There is an earthen structure very much like a t-line - perfect straightness for 2 km, a little over 10 meters wide, with fairly even boundaries and at the same time there is no clear beginning and end. But the most interesting thing is that this line goes over the ruins:
It is clearly seen that the line was not used as a road and an irrigation canal, and was damaged by dried up streams, just like the ruins. Interestingly, the line was drawn before the residents left their homes, or after?
Further. Trujillo (about 900 km from Nazca). Several "wrong" lines:
One can note the ideal straightness of the widest line (almost a trapezoid - the wide part is 60 m, the narrow one is 50), and the "Nascan" stone structures on the lines.
There is a very interesting place a little further north. This line of dots, judging by the destruction, is quite ancient and made in a similar way, like some lines on the Nazca plateau and next to Ica:
Figure: 35.
Figure: 35 (Nascan examples on the left). You can see how another similar line is connected to this line. It stretches almost in a straight line for more than 4 kilometers and ends with something like a ring structure on a hill: Fig. 36:
Figure: 36.
It was not possible to find anything like this in the district, but something else attracted attention. Wide-striped surface in the area. It is very similar to the operation of a bulldozer, if not for the size of the bucket (up to 30 meters) and erosion by long-dried flows: Fig. 37:
Figure: 37.
In the lower right corner are the remains of an ancient irrigation system (cited from Google Earth) used during the Mochica and Chimu times. These channels go along the edge of the aligned area and you can see that some of the channels go on top, and some have fallen under alignment (marked with a gray arrow). There are also very similar to "Nascan" heaps of stones on the leveled area. Similar areas are designated by "geoglyph hunters" in Wikimapia a little further north, but already much smaller: Fig. 38. A rather unusual way of working with the earth's surface for the ancient Indians.
Remnants of the lines are visible much to the north. For example, irregular road-like wide lines near the town of Cayalti: Fig. 39:
Figure: 39.
Fragment of the line next to the tomb of the famous "Sipan ruler" (Mochica):
Figure: 40.
And the last thing. At Wikimapia, a group of geoglyphs is also noted near Viru, near Trujillo:
Figure: 41.
Nothing special, it may well be the remains of old roads. If not for one very interesting detail:
Figure: 42.
It is difficult to come up with an explanation, but it is very similar to the imprint of an atmospheric discharge, that is, lightning, and its further formation into a line. Or vice versa.
Author: IGOR ALEXEEV