Hundreds of large ground figures (hummingbird, spider, monkey, and lines several kilometers long), some hundreds of meters across, require altitude to be seen in full. Mainstream archaeology associates them with water sources, agricultural ritual, or astronomical calendars. Fringe theories claim alien spacecraft runways or landing markers. The exact drawing method and function remain undecided.
Account
Hundreds of large ground figures (hummingbird, spider, monkey, and lines several kilometers long), some hundreds of meters across, require altitude to be seen in full. Mainstream archaeology associates them with water sources, agricultural ritual, or astronomical calendars. Fringe theories claim alien spacecraft runways or landing markers. The exact drawing method and function remain undecided.
Contested
Field experiments have shown that using wooden stakes and cords, all figures can be scaled up and drawn from the ground without needing an aerial view or alien technology. The function remains debated.
Sources
- Peruvian National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History research archives
- Peruvian Ministry of Culture archaeological reports
- World Archaeology journal
- Nazca Lines archaeological survey papers