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Ancient spiral aqueducts in Nazca, Peru. Source: peterz / Adobe Stock.

The Ancient Aqueducts Keeping Peruvian Deserts Fertile (Video)

For over 1,700 years, the ancient aqueducts of Peru's Nazca region have sustained life in the desert. Built by the pre-Hispanic Nazca people since the fourth century AD, these aqueducts form an...
Left, Nazca geoglyphs recently discovered using artificial intelligence show figures of a pair of bird legs, a humanoid and a fish at Nazca in Peru. Right, Examples of various types of Nazca image creation techniques.	Source: Yamagata University Institute of Nasca

New Nazca Geoglyphs Uncovered in Northern Pampa Using AI Tech

What do a humanoid figure, a bird, a fish, and a pair of legs have in common? Japanese scientists and archaeologists, using a deep artificial intelligence learning model technique, have discovered...
A newly found Nazca line image, a humanoid reminiscent of Homer Simpson. Source: Yamagata University

168 New Geoglyphs Discovered, Adding to the Enigma of Peru’s Nazca Lines

A fresh set of 168 geoglyphs have been discovered by researchers in Peru’s intriguing Nazca Lines UNESCO World Heritage Site. The newly found drawings depict humans, camelids, birds, orcas, cats and...
Cahuachi pyramid at Nazca, Peru.	Source: Daniel Prudek/Adobe Stock

Cahuachi Necropolis, Sacred Burial Ground of the Nazca

We can learn a lot about a civilization from how it treated its dead. The Nazca of Peru, for example, often carried their dead to Cahuachi, an important religious center, to be buried. Even though...
Montage of article images. 	Source: Various

Ten of the Biggest and Best Geoglyphs from the Ancient World

The most well-known geoglyphs in the world are undoubtedly the Nazca Lines of coastal Peru. Yet, scattered across the globe are thousands of other geoglyphs that are equally as impressive. The earth...
Giant Cat Geoglyph Found Near the Mysterious Nazca Lines

Giant Cat Geoglyph Found Near the Mysterious Nazca Lines

Experts have found a giant new cat geoglyph in Peru near the world-famous Nazca Lines. They identified the huge figure of the feline on a hill that overlooks the pre-Hispanic designs and features...
Representation of the monkey geoglyph, Nazca lines, Peru.

The Perplexing Nazca Lines: Sacred Roads, Spirit Animals, or Water Sources?

The Nazca civilization thrived from 200 BC to about 600 AD in the arid plains of southern Peru. They practiced extensive irrigation at their main population centers and built two major urban...
Nazca Hummingbird identified as Source: / CC BY-SA 4.0

Have Japanese Ornithologists Cracked the Mystery of the Nazca Lines?

The Nazca Lines are among the most mysterious archaeological sites in all of Latin America. However, a team of Japanese experts has published a study in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports...
Ceramics give evidence of Peru’s first empires               Source: Andina / Juan Carlos Guzmán Fair Use

Study of Ceramics Provides New Thinking on Origins of First Peruvian Empire

The Andean nation of Peru has been the home of many important pre-Columbian societies. But their origins and development still holds many questions. Now a number of ceramic pieces are throwing light...
Nazca mummies robbed of precious textiles

A Night with the Grave Robbers of Nazca

The Ica region on the southern coast of Peru, was once the homeland of the Nazca civilization, who thrived in the desert area from 2nd century BC to about 800 AD, due to their expertise in hydraulic...
Maria Reiche measuring the Nazca Lines.

Maria Reiche: The Governess of Nazca

Today, the birthday of the German lady who contributed greatly to our understanding of the famous Nazca Lines in Peru, is being marked by Google Doodle and others. Maria Reiche was a talented...
A depiction of a flying human tethered to a monkey. The geoglyphs pre-dating the Nazca lines show many more human designs.

More than 50 Enormous Ancient Drawings Found in Peru Add to Nazca Mystery

More than 50 new geoglyphs have been added to the mysterious Peruvian desert carvings. Some are made by the same culture as the Nazca lines and others show unique designs predating them...
Image shows the level of damage caused by the truck driving into the protected archaeological site.

Driver Plows Truck into 2,000-Year-Old Nazca Lines Causing Irreversible Damage

In a shocking example of destruction of a fragile archaeological site, a truck driver has been charged with careless driving and entering a prohibited zone after he accidentally drove his truck over...
The rediscovered orca geoglyph lies on a desert hillside in the remote Palpa region of southern Peru.

Gigantic 2,000-Year-Old Geoglyph of an Orca Is One of the Earliest in Peru

Archaeologists have rediscovered and restored a huge geoglyph of a killer whale, “hiding” in a desert hillside in the isolated Palpa region of southern Peru. Researchers noted that the specific...
Nazca lines.

Ancient Runways and Flying Fish: Did the Nazca Culture Take Flight?

The Nazca lines are still mysterious even after decades of being carefully studied. Archaeologists believe they know how they were made, but why they were made remains uncertain. Recently,...
Alleged Mummy found at Nazca, clearly has three fingers and toes

Paradigm Shift Required? 3-Fingered Mummified Humanoid Found in Peru May Change the Story of Human Origins

A remarkable mummified body has been discovered in Nazca, Peru. While mummies can draw attention, this particular find may alter the story of human origins. The crouched mummified body of a humanoid...
Advanced Hydraulic Engineering made Desertified Peruvian Valleys Livable 1,500 Years Ago

Advanced Hydraulic Engineering made Desertified Peruvian Valleys Livable 1,500 Years Ago

Aqueducts and manmade wells built about 1,500 years ago in Peru by the Nazca people are still in use today and supplying water for daily living and irrigation to people in desert areas near the...
Newly-discovered Nazca geoglyph of an imaginary creature.

Archaeologists uncover an imaginary creature among the Nazca lines of Peru

Experts have discovered a new geoglyph 30 meters (100 feet) long among the Nazca lines on an arid plateau in Peru that experts say depicts an imaginary animal with a long tongue. Archaeologists say...
Solved: The Mystery of the Spiraling Holes in the Nasca Region of Peru

Solved: The Mystery of the Spiraling Holes in the Nasca Region of Peru

Spiraling holes, known as puquios, are located in the Nasca (Nazca) region of Peru. This is the same place where gigantic geometric images are located carved into the landscape. After years of...
Top Ten Builds by the Ancients that Were Exposed in 2015

Top Ten Builds by the Ancients that Were Exposed in 2015: Stone Circles, Architecture, Petroglyphs, Fortresses and More

There is no doubt that our ancient ancestors were adept at creating beautiful and masterful structures. The features they managed to construct easily rival some of the most important works built...
One of the enormous earthwork configurations photographed from space is known as the Ushtogaysky Square, named after the nearest village in Kazakhstan. Credit: Digitalglobe, via NASA

NASA Sparks Interest in Enigmatic Earthworks of Kazakhstan

Archaeologists call them the Nazca lines of Kazakhstan – hundreds of giant geoglyphs formed with earthen mounds and timber found stretched across the landscape in northern Kazakhstan. They are...
The enigmatic Nazca Lines – Condor at center.

The Enigma of the Nazca Lines: Strange Theories and Unanswered Questions

The Nazca Lines of Peru remain one of history's most fascinating mysteries. They still mystify despite numerous attempts to unfold their secrets. Who designed and constructed the Nazca Lines, and why...
Mile long band of mysterious and unexplained holes in Pisco Valley – Peru. (CC BY 3.0). Inset:  An artistic impression defining 11 pictographs and 22 characters composing just a 200 meters length of the "Band of Holes'.

The Mysterious Holes of Peru: A Pre-Columbian Domestic Water Source for Trans-Oceanic Travelers? Part II

Read Part I In Part I , Ancient Origins Guest Writer, William James Veall discussed why he believes his research has uncovered a viable solution to the long term "Mystery of the Peruvian Holes" - a...
Ancient Geoglyphs of Kazakhstan

Ancient Geoglyphs of Kazakhstan: The Mysterious Markings in Danger of Destruction

Rings, crosses, circles, squares, and a swastika are some of the many intricate designs of the enigmatic and ancient geoglyphs spread across the vast northern steppe of Kazakhstan. 50 huge geoglyphs...

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