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Nazca Desert (Peru) - description, history, location. The exact address, phone, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.
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The Nazca Desert, located off the southern coast of Peru, is one of the most amazing and mystical places on the planet. This area became widely famous thanks to the gigantic mysterious lines that form realistic drawings from a great height, as if made by the hand of an invisible giant master. The amount of art is amazing: in the Nazca desert there are more than thirty identifiable designs alone, and there are also about 700 geometric shapes and countless lines and stripes. Millions of tourists from all over the world come to see the mysterious signs every year, and the desert itself is perhaps the most visited attraction in Peru.
A little history
Hummingbird, Monkey, Dog, Whale - these are just a few of the giant drawings in the Nazca desert. The first evidence of the existence of shallow long trenches of unknown purpose dates back to the 16th century, and in 1939 it became visible from the air for the first time that these strips form perfect pictures. The first photos of the desert were taken in 1947, and since then scientists have been puzzling over the purpose of the Nazca drawings.
So far, all that is known is that the authors of the drawings (at least according to modern science) are the ancient Nazca civilization, which existed from the 1st century BC until the 8th century with its center in the ceremonial city of Cahuachi (28 km from the current city of Nazca) . In addition to desert art, the Nazcas bequeathed an extensive system of underground water canals (many of which are still used by local residents), as well as examples of ceramics and textiles, which can be seen in the Antonini Archaeological Museum in the city of Nazca.
The famous Nazca Lines are located on a section of rocky desert with an area of 50 by 5-7 km, occupying a total space of 500 square meters. km.
How to get there
The main settlement of the Nazca area is logically named Nazca. The most convenient way to get here is by bus, this indispensable Peruvian transport. Buses depart from all major cities country, the fastest way to Nazca is from the city of Ica, the center of the southern coast of Peru - the journey will take 2-3 hours and cost about 30-40 PEN.
Buses from Cusco and Arequipa also arrive in Nazca; in the first case, you will have to spend about 14 hours on the road, in the second - “only” nine, both buses depart from their starting points at night, arriving at the place in the morning. A ticket from Cusco will cost about 90-100 PEN, from Arequipa - about 75-85 PEN. The trip from Lima will take approximately 6-8 hours depending on the route.
If you want to see the Nazca Lines, but are based in Lima, it is most convenient to purchase a sightseeing tour from one of the agencies in the Peruvian capital. Tourists set off at 4 am, visit the cities of Ballestas and Nazca itself (including its attractions), and also fly around the Nazca lines in a light aircraft. Return to Lima around 10 pm the same day. The cost of the excursion is about 900-1000 PEN. Prices on the page are as of September 2018.
How to get around
You can get around the city of Nazca on foot - it is quite small. A taxi ride to any distance within the city will cost no more than 4 PEN, and a trip to the airport (from where the light-duty cars with tourists take off) will cost no more than 5-6 PEN.
Hotels in the Nazca Desert
Hoteliers in the city of Nazca and the surrounding area, of course, could not ignore the increased popularity of the area among foreign tourists, - so there are plenty of options for placement here. Prices start from 35-40 PEN per room without embellishment; for 50 PEN you can stay for the night comfortably, and for 90-120 PEN you can even have a blast. For budget tourists there are a lot of hostels with prices ranging from 15-20 PEN per bed. Well, to experience the authentic atmosphere of Nazca, you can stay at a private hacienda turned into a hotel.
Cuisine and restaurants
In the city of Nazca, you should not look for gourmet restaurants - after all, although it is a popular province, it is a province. But there are more than enough establishments of a worker-peasant nature here - and the food they serve is very good: the ingredients are fresh, the preparation is simple but good, and the portions are huge. Fast food includes all kinds of sandwiches and burgers, kiosks with which are located on any of the city streets. If you want to have a hot lunch, Nazca restaurants are at your service, where for 8-15 PEN you will be offered a fixed menu of soup, several main dishes to choose from and a drink.
Nazca Lines
The famous Nazca Lines are located on a section of rocky desert with an area of 50 by 5-7 km, occupying a total space of 500 square meters. km. In fact, they are shallow furrows a meter wide and 30-40 cm deep. Due to the fact that the surface of the soil in Nazca is darker, and the “underside” is lighter, the lines are clearly visible to the eye. But due to the fact that the drawings occupy a gigantic area, you can see them in all their glory only from the air.
Flights over the Nazca Desert start from the local airfield, where operator stands are plentiful. A seat in a four-seater Cessna (2 pilots and 2 passengers) will cost about 50-70 USD per low season and 90-110 USD - in high. Definitely need to bargain! The passenger will also be asked to pay an airport tax of 10-15 PEN. The flight duration is about half an hour.
In addition, you can admire the Nazca Line from observation tower, located along the Pan-American Highway. From there you can see 3-4 drawings and a magnificent mountain landscape on the horizon. A taxi from the city of Nazca and back will cost about 55 PEN, and climbing the tower itself will cost 3 PEN.
Nazca city and surroundings
To get a complete understanding of the Nazca culture, you should definitely visit the interesting Archaeological Museum Antonini. Here are examples of ceramics and textiles recovered from archaeological excavations, and in the garden there is a model of the Nazca Aqueduct and a model of the Nazca Lines.
In the nearby city of Cantalloc, it is worth seeing the system of underground Nazca aqueducts (“pucuyos”), thanks to which cotton, corn, beans and other crops are successfully grown in this arid region today. Nearby you can look at the ruins of the Inca city of Paredones.
The Chauchilla burial site is the only place in Peru where you can see mummies about 3 thousand years old “in a natural setting.” For centuries, treasure hunters have plundered ancient graves, not hesitating to leave the deceased owners of jewelry on the surface. Don’t be surprised to see skulls, bones, hair and other evidence of the frailty of human existence under your feet.
Geoglyphs on the Nazca plateau, like the famous lost city Incas Machu Picchu is one of the most mysterious attractions of Peru. Giant geometric figures depicting triangles, spirals, lines, constellations, as well as a monkey, a spider, flowers, an astronaut and a hummingbird with a wingspan of more than two hundred meters were created between the 1st and 5th centuries AD. There is still no consensus on the origin of patterns made with deep furrows and the purpose of their creation, despite many years of research.
The Nazca Lines were first noticed in 1939 by American archaeologist Paul Kosok, who was flying over the plateau. He saw that the lines recorded the phases of the moon and indicated certain constellations. It was impossible to detect such parallels from the ground; The figures can only be distinguished to this day only from the air. Subsequently, Maria Reiche was engaged in their research, and many drawings were discovered with her help. According to Reiche, geoglyphs in the desert are the largest calendar of the starry sky under open air in the world. In total, on the Nazca plateau you can find about thirty designs, 788 different geometric shapes, including trapezoids, triangles and spirals, and thousands of lines and stripes. In 1994, geoglyphs were included in the List World Heritage UNESCO.
To travel to the Nazca plateau, choose light, light-colored clothing and closed shoes with hard soles. Best time to view geoglyphs in the desert - from December to March, when you can count on clear sunny weather. The temperature during this period does not fall below +27°C. Even when setting out early in the morning or at dusk, do not forget about sunscreen and a headdress.
In addition to the geoglyphs, there are several other interesting sights on the Nazca Plateau. In particular, you can visit the ruins of Cahuachi - the most important and powerful city ancient civilization, where excavations are still ongoing. 5 kilometers east of Nazca are the Cantayoc aqueducts, and 30 kilometers south is the necropolis of Chauchilla (El cementerio de Chauchilla), most of the burials date back to the 5th-6th centuries. The mummies were found in the first half of the last century, however archaeological site The necropolis was recognized only in 1997.
How to get there
The Nazca Plateau is located 380 kilometers southeast of Lima. The path runs along the picturesque Pacific coast, along Highway 1S. The most convenient way to get from the capital to the city of Nazca is with a transfer to Ica; The average bus journey takes seven and a half hours. Tickets must be purchased in advance, at least one day in advance. Be careful: from Lima, buses from different transport companies (Oltursa, Cruz del Sur, TEPSA) depart from different terminals; for example, TEPSA flights depart from the terminal of the same name, located on Avenida Javier Prado. However, starting points are not always located in the city center. One-way fares range from 65 PEN (~$20.8) to 140 PEN (~$44.8) per person. Buses depart several times a day, including late in the evening and at night.
The best way to see the geoglyphs on the Nazca Plateau is to go to one of excursion tours on small Cessna planes arranged by local agencies. IN good weather Most of the designs and lines can be seen from the air; guides navigate the desert's most famous sites, including those featuring monkeys, spiders, hummingbirds and other animals.
The routes start from the cities of Nazca and Lima. Excursions should be booked in advance: the number of seats on planes is limited (usually no more than five passengers), and it is unlikely to be possible to organize such a trip on the spot. Their cost from the city of Nazca, for example, starts at $150 per person; The price includes transfer from the hotel to the airfield, flights and the services of a local guide. Such tours operate daily, mainly in the morning, but departure times and travel duration depend on the number of flights scheduled for the day and weather conditions. On average, the excursion takes a little over half an hour.
Organized excursions from Lima will cost more; their prices start at $350 per person. This price includes transfer to the Nazca airfield, watching a short film about the desert lines, flight, as well as lunch in a traditional restaurant and a visit to the observation deck on the way back.
Helicopter excursions over the Nazca plateau are organized by several specialized travel companies. The cost of such a trip starts from $350 per person; flights operate daily. The duration of the excursion is 40 minutes, including the flight time - 25 minutes. The minimum number of passengers is two people.
Another option for visiting the Nazca Lines is Observation deck on the Panamericana Highway (El Mirador). The cost of visiting is 2 PEN (~$0.6) per person. In this case, due to the great distance of the drawings, it will be possible to see only two of them.
Location
The Nazca Plateau is located in the province of the same name in the Ica region, which lies almost in the center of the Pacific coast.
The drawings of the Nazca desert are simply amazing! Their lines stretch from horizon to horizon, occasionally converging or intersecting; One involuntarily gets the impression that this is a runway for ancient aircraft. Here you can clearly distinguish flying birds, spiders, monkeys, fish, lizards...
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Nazca is a desert in Peru, surrounded by low spurs of the Andes and bare and lifeless hills of dense dark sand. This desert stretches between the valleys of the Nazca and Ingenio rivers, 450 kilometers south of the Peruvian city of Lima.
"Many centuries before the Incas, south coast Peru was created historical monument, unparalleled in the world and intended for posterity. In terms of size and precision, it is not inferior to Egyptian pyramids. But if there we look, raising our heads, at monumental three-dimensional structures of simple geometric shapes, then here, on the contrary, we have to look from a great height at wide open spaces covered with mysterious hieroglyphs, as if drawn on the plain by a giant hand. " With these words, the book of the desert explorer begins Nazca by Maria Reiche. “The Mystery of the Desert.” Mathematician and astronomer Maria Reiche specially moved from Germany to Peru to study the mysterious drawings. She is perhaps the main researcher and guardian of the desert plateau, where, thanks to her efforts, she was created. protected area. Reiche was the first to draw up maps and plans of all lines, sites and drawings.
The giant drawings scattered between abstract figures and spirals, the size of which reaches tens and sometimes hundreds of meters, are extremely impressive. Of all the animals greatest number- birds. Fantastic and quite reliably drawn, a total of 18 birds are depicted in the desert. But there are also completely mysterious animals, such as a dog-like creature with thin legs and a long tail. There are also images of people, although they are drawn less expressively. Among the images of people there is a bird-man with the head of an owl; the size of this picture is more than 30 meters. And the size of the so-called “big lizard” is 110 meters!
The desert area is approximately 500 square kilometers. The surface of the soil here is surprising in that it is covered with a kind of engraving that resembles a tattoo. This “tattoo” on the surface of the desert is not deep, but huge in size, lines and figures. There are 13,000 lines, more than 100 spirals, over 700 geometric areas (trapezoids and triangles) and 788 figures depicting animals and birds. This "engraving" of the earth stretches approximately 100 kilometers deep in a winding ribbon, the width of which is from 8 to 15 kilometers. These drawings were discovered thanks to photographs taken from an airplane. From a bird's eye view, it can be seen that the figures were created by removing brown stones from the light sandy subsoil, covered with a thin black layer of the so-called “desert tan”, which is formed by manganese and iron oxides.
The figures and lines are perfectly preserved due to the arid climate of the area. A wooden marking peg driven into the ground, found in the desert, was carefully studied and subjected to radiocarbon dating, which showed that the tree was cut down in 526 AD. Official science believes: all these figures were created by one of the Indian cultures of the pre-Incan period, which existed in the south of Peru and which flourished in 300-900 years. AD The technique for executing the lines of these huge “drawings” is very simple. As soon as you remove the top layer of dark crushed stone, which has darkened over time, from the lighter lower layer, a contrasting strip appears. The ancient Indians first made a sketch of the future drawing measuring 2 by 2 meters on the ground. Such sketches have been preserved close to some of the figures. In the sketch, each straight line was divided into its component segments. Then, on an enlarged scale, the sections were transferred to the surface using stakes and a wooden rope. With curved lines it was much more difficult, but the ancients coped with this too, breaking each curve into many short arcs. It must be said that each drawing is outlined by only one continuous line. And perhaps the greatest mystery of the Nazca drawings is that their creators never saw and could not see them in their entirety.
The question is completely logical: for whom did the ancient Indians do such titanic work? Paul Kosok, a researcher of these drawings, estimates that it took more than 100,000 years of working days to create the complex of Nazca figures by hand. Even if this working day lasted 12 hours. Paul Kosok suggested that these lines and drawings are nothing more than a giant calendar that accurately shows the changing seasons. Maria Reiche tested Kosok's assumption and collected irrefutable evidence that the drawings are associated with the summer and winter solstices. The beak of a fantastic bird, with a neck 100 meters long, is located at the point of sunrise during the winter solstice.
Some scientists put forward the version that the drawings were exclusively cult meaning, however, such a version is quite doubtful, because a religious building must certainly influence people, and huge drawings on the ground are not perceived at all. Hungarian cartographer Zoltan Selke believes that the Nazca sites are just a 1:16 scale map of the Lake Titicaca area. After exploring the desert for several years, he found a lot of evidence that fully confirmed his hypothesis. In that case, who was this super-giant map intended for? The mystery of the Nazca paintings remains unsolved.
VEDIC SECRETS OF THE NAZCA DESERT
The first strange lines on Nazca were discovered in 1927 by the Peruvian archaeologist Mejia Xesspe, when he accidentally glanced from a steep mountainside onto a plateau. By 1940, he had discovered several more incredible ancient signs and published his first sensational article. On June 22, 1941 (the day the Great Patriotic War began!!!), the American historian Paul Kosok took off a light plane and discovered a giant stylized bird, the wingspan of which exceeded 200 meters, and next to it something resembling a landing strip. Then he discovered a giant spider, a monkey with a strangely coiled tail, a whale, and finally, on a gentle mountain slope, a 30-meter tall figure of a man with his hand raised in greeting. Thus, perhaps the most mysterious “picture book in the history of mankind” was discovered.
Over the next sixty years, Nazca was studied quite well. The number of discovered drawings has long exceeded several hundred, and the vast majority of them are made up of various geometric shapes. Some lines reach a length of up to 23 kilometers.
And today the solution to the mystery is no closer. What versions and hypotheses have not been put forward during this time! They tried to present the drawings as some kind of giant ancient calendar, but no mathematical justification was ever presented to the scientific world.
One of the hypotheses identified the drawings as some kind of designations of zones of influence of Indian clans. But the plateau was never inhabited, and who could deal with these “ger-
bami clans”, when they are only visible from a bird’s eye view?
There is a version that the images of Nazca are nothing more than an alien airfield. There are no words, a number of stripes are indeed incredibly reminiscent of modern runways and landing strips, but where is there any evidence of alien intervention? Others claim that Nazca are signals from alien intelligence.
Recently, voices have begun to be heard that Nazca is generally the brainchild of someone’s falsification. But then a whole army of counterfeiters had to work hard for decades to produce the most gigantic counterfeit in the history of mankind. How could they keep the secret in this case and why, in the end, did they become so disfigured?
The most conservative part of scientists insists that all the variety of drawings and figures was dedicated to a certain god of water: “probably! represented a kind of sacrifice to the ancestors or gods of the sky and mountains, who sent people the water so necessary for irrigating the fields.” But why was it necessary to turn to the god of water at such a time? remote place, where there has never been any permanent residence, no agriculture, no cultivated fields? The rain that spilled on Nazca was of no particular benefit to the ancient Peruvians.
There is an opinion that ancient Indian athletes once ran along giant ancient lines, that is, some ancient South American Olympics were held on Nazca. Let's say that athletes could run in straight lines, but how could they run in spirals and in the pattern of, for example, monkeys?
There were publications that huge trapezoidal areas were created for the sake of certain mass ceremonies, during which sacrifices were made to the gods and mass celebrations took place. But then why did archaeologists searching all the surrounding areas not find a single confirmation of this artifact? In addition, part of the giant trapezoids is located on mountain peaks, which is not so easy for a professional climber to climb.
There is even a completely absurd version that all the gigantic work was carried out solely for the purpose of a kind of occupational therapy, in order to at least do something to occupy the idle ancient Peruvians... They claim that all the images of Nazca are nothing more than a giant loom of the ancient Peruvians, who they laid out their threads along the lines, since in the pre-Columbian era the Americans did not know the wheel and did not have a spinning wheel... It was even argued that the Nazca drawings were a huge encrypted map of the world. Alas, no one has yet undertaken to decipher it.
The most cautious part of historians defines Nazca drawings and lines as certain “paths that had sacred significance along which ritual processions were carried out.” But then again, who could see these trails from the ground?
Until now, scientists have not come to an agreement on how the Nazca drawings were created, because the production of images of such a huge scale represents a huge technical difficulty even today. Only the technology for direct creation of stripes has been more or less accurately established. It was quite simple: the surface layer of stones was removed from the ground, under which the ground had a lighter color. However, the creators of the drawings had to first create sketches of the future giant images on a small scale and only then transfer them to the area. How they managed to maintain the accuracy and correctness of all the lines is a mystery! To do this, at a minimum, they had to have at hand the entire arsenal of modern geodetic equipment, not to mention the most advanced mathematical knowledge. By the way, today's experimenters were only able to repeat the creation of straight lines, but were powerless in the face of ideal circles and spirals... In addition
This means that images were created not only on flat areas of land. They were applied on very steep slopes and even almost on steep cliffs! But that's not all! In the Nazca region there are the Palpa Mountains, some of which are cut off like a table, as if some monster had gnawed their tops. These giant artificial sections also contain drawings, lines and geometric images.
There is also no unity regarding the time of construction. Nowadays it is customary to divide everything created on the plateau into seven conventional cultures, very spaced in time, from Nazca-1 to Nazca-7. Some archaeologists are inclined to attribute the creation of Nazca paintings to the period of time from 500 AD. to 1200 AD Others categorically object, since the Inca Indians inhabiting this region of Peru do not have even remote legends regarding Nazca, which gives grounds to attribute the time of creation of the images to almost 100,000 BC. They tried to determine the age of the stripes from the remains of fragments of clay shards found nearby. It was believed that ancient builders drank from clay jugs and then sometimes broke them. However, shards from all seven cultures were found everywhere on the same strip and, in the end, this dating attempt was considered unsuccessful.
The scientific study of Nazca today is also hampered by government restrictions. Due to the fact that after the discovery of the drawings, the plateau was subjected to a real invasion of “wild” tourists who drove all over the plateau in cars and motorcycles, spoiling the drawings, now it is strictly forbidden for anyone to appear directly on the Nazca Plateau. Nazca has been declared an archaeological park and taken under state protection, and the fine for unauthorized entry into the park is an astronomical amount - 1 million US dollars. Everyone, however, can admire the giant ancient images from the board of tourist planes that continuously circle over the mysterious plateau. But for real scientific research, you will agree, this is still not enough.
But the mysteries of Nazca do not end there. If on the surface of the plateau there are gigantic drawings that are still incomprehensible to human understanding, then in the depths of the caves there are even more incredible pukios - ancient underground water pipes in granite pipes. There are 29 giant puquios in the Nazca Valley. Today's Indians attribute their creation to the creator god Viracocha, but the canals are the work of human hands. Moreover, one of the canals is located under the local river Rio de Nazca, so much so that it pure water in no way mixed with the dirty water of the river! From the description of an eyewitness: “Sometimes stone spirals lead deep into the earth, and watercourses have an artificial channel, lined with slabs and smoothly hewn blocks. Sometimes the entrance hole is a deep shaft that goes deep into the earth... Everywhere and everywhere these underground channels are artificial structures...” Pukios is also from the realm of eternal mysteries. Who, when and for what purpose created these gigantic water structures under a deserted plateau? Who used them?
An ancient clay figurine depicting surgery on a dinosaur.
In the capital of the province of Nazca, the town of Ica, lives the owner of the most incredible collection in the world, professor of medicine, Hanviera Cabrera. He has more than two and a half thousand figurines made of unfired clay, which the professor obtains from the local Indians. The figurines depict the ancient inhabitants of Peru next to... dinosaurs and pterodactyls. At the same time, ancient Peruvians performed operations on dinosaurs, flew on pterodactyls and looked into space through a spyglass. The age of the figurines is estimated to be from 50,000 to 100,000 years, and maybe even more. As for the radiocarbon method, it gave very contradictory results. In addition to the figurines, Professor Cabrera's collection contains similar drawings on stones, including ones that depict aircraft in the starry sky. Moreover, Professor Cabrera’s collection is no exception. The famous Mexican collection of Acambaro also contains dinosaurs, including flying ones. The same is true in the Ecuadorian collection of Father Crecy. In addition, there is also the collection of Russell Burrows, who found sculptures with strikingly similar subjects in caves in Illinois. The same thing was found not long ago in Japan. Falsification in in this case impossible even theoretically! Well, and finally, the most scandalous discovery on the Paluxy River in the US state of Texas, where archaeologists discovered dinosaur bones and fossilized human traces in the same rock! This means that people already lived in the era of dinosaurs, or, conversely, dinosaurs lived in the era of people! But both of these completely change our ideas about the beginning of the human era, and therefore one can imagine how much irritation, misunderstanding and simply outright opposition these findings cause among the elite of the scientific world, who made a name for themselves on those hypotheses that are now completely crossed out by the findings of recent years!
And how can one not recall here the seemingly absurd assumptions of the Crimean academician A.V. Gokh, who says that the protein necessary to create a huge number of repeaters of the Crimean pyramids was obtained from huge dinosaur eggs. It should be admitted that the statements of the Crimean academician now look not so groundless.
Now, I think, it’s time to present to readers the hypothesis of the Emil Bagirov Institute regarding the giant geoglyphs in the Nazca desert. However, first two more facts.
First. Quite recently, through the works of the German researcher Erich von Däniken (known to us from the sensational journalistic film “Remembrance of the Future”), a giant... classic MANDALA was discovered in Nazca! Yes Yes! The same sacred mandapa with which today's Tibetans and Hindus designate the pictures they contemplate during meditation! The same mandala that was once the sacred sign of the Aryans and one of the main Vedic symbols. Coincidence? No way!
Second. Ancient texts of the Old World everywhere tell about certain flying machines, and machines of completely earthly origin.
For example, in the “Book of the Greatness of Kings” the flights of King Solomon are described in detail: “The king and all who obeyed his commands flew in a chariot, knowing neither illness, nor sorrow, nor hunger, nor thirst, nor fatigue, and at the same time everything in one day they traveled a journey of three months... He (Solomon) gave her all sorts of wonders and treasures that one could wish for and a chariot that moves through the air and which he created according to the wisdom given to him by God...
And the inhabitants of the Egyptian country told them: in ancient times the Ethiopians visited here; they rode on a chariot like an angel, and at the same time flew faster than an eagle in the sky.” No less indicative are quotes from the famous “Mahatbharata”: “l/i then the king (Rumanvat) with his servants and harem, with his wives and nobles entered the heavenly chariot. They flew over the entire expanse of the sky, following the direction of the wind. The heavenly chariot flew around the entire earth, (flying) over the oceans, and headed towards the city of Avantis, where the holiday was just taking place. After a short stop, the king rose into the air again in front of countless onlookers, who were amazed at the sight of the heavenly chariot.”
Or here’s another: “Arjuna, the terror of his enemies, wished that Indra would send his heavenly chariot after him. And then, in a blaze of light, a chariot suddenly appeared, illuminating the gloom of the air and illuminating the clouds around, and all the surroundings were filled with a roar similar to peals of thunder...”
So, all Indian sources claim that the ancient Aryan civilization had airships - vimanas. We find echoes of these unusual means of transportation in the legends of the peoples of the Aryan area, for example, the famous Russian fairy tales about a flying ship and so on. But for the vimanas to take off and land, they needed runways and landing strips. Are there traces of them in the Old World? As it turns out, there is! At the present time, at least three are already known: one in England, the second on the Ustyurt plateau near the Aral Sea and the third in Saudi Arabia. At the same time, similar giant geoglyphs were found everywhere, as in Nazca, although in smaller quantities. And this despite the fact that no targeted searches for ancient airports have ever been carried out anywhere.
So what can we assume? After the destruction of the Tower of Babel, that is, after the collapse of the single ancient Vedic faith into several concessions, the vigorous migration of Aryan tribes began, and with it the export of Vedic religion and knowledge. Of course, the main settlement of the Aryans was by land. It spread throughout Eurasia, where the Vedic influence is felt everywhere to this day. However, most likely, some of the Aryans also used mysterious vimanas, which, as we already know, had a long flight range and could fly across oceans. It was then, most likely, that the heroic throw across Africa and the Atlantic to South America. But why was the landing made on Nazca? It can be assumed that for some time this area attracted the Aryans because the Nazca region is rich in deposits of iron and copper ore, gold and silver. Let us also pay attention to the fact that it is in the Nazca region that very ancient abandoned mines for the extraction of all these metals were discovered.
Apparently, for some time the Aryans from the vimanas that arrived lived in these places. They brought the local residents into obedience, organized the mining of metals, introduced and spread among the ancient Peruvians the cult of the Great Goddess-First Mother, the Most Bright Sun-Horsa, the immortality of the soul and rebirth. It was then that runways and geometric signs were built, allowing vimanas to be aimed at them correctly, and underground conduits making it easier to provide water. It seems that the vimanas actively carried out the export of mined metals to Egypt or some other countries that were in the area of the then Aryan influence. It is possible that the Aryans also used tamed local pterodactyls for short flights, which was depicted in the ancient clay figurines of Peru. Apparently there was such an experience. Suffice it to recall the same “Avesta” and “Rigveda”, numerous European-Aryan mythologies, where heroes very often use flying lizards as a completely suitable means of transportation. The same Russian heroes, for example, on occasion willingly used the legendary Serpent Gorynych for this purpose...
However, the time came and the Aryans who settled on Nazca, having completed their mission, forever left the place, which was not very suitable for permanent residence, leaving local residents Vedic cults, knowledge of crafts and the firm belief that the departed people-gods will one day definitely return. It was then, apparently, that the intensive creation of many drawings began, so that the people-gods flying in the skies past Nazca would see that they were still waiting for them here, as, indeed, in other places in America, where similar geoglyphs have now been found. At the same time, they drew what, in the opinion of the Indians, those who flew away liked most, what once surprised and amused them: unusual monkeys, hummingbirds, whales, iguanas.
Fortunately, the Aryans left the secrets of the technology for creating grandiose images to the local residents. That is why, among other drawings, the Indians placed a grandiose mandala - the sacred Vedic sign of the Aryans, quite logically assuming that seeing it, the people-gods would definitely return to this land, where they were so loved and so faithfully awaited. But, alas, none of the gods returned.
Centuries and millennia passed. The foundations of the Vedic faith, once laid here by Aryan priests, over time became intricately intertwined with local cults. However, the pyramids, the cult of the Sun, and many priestly rituals today are strikingly reminiscent of their Vedic foundations. All this time, the Indians patiently waited for the fair-haired, bearded people-gods, carrying great faith and great knowledge, to return from the west from across the ocean. The time has come and bearded men clad in iron really came from the west, but instead of the long-awaited benefits they brought destruction and death. However, this is a completely different story...
What kind of miracles does it keep within itself? ancient history! How many mysteries have not yet been solved, and how many of them will never be solved! However, stepping into the future, people understand the past more and more deeply and replace guesses and myths real story. Thus, it is believed that archaeologists have already finally solved the mystery that the Nazca Desert concealed. The outskirts of Peru became famous back in 1947, when the first scientific publications appeared about strange lines and mysterious drawings. Later the idea arose that these were alien runways. Many inhabitants of the planet perceived this idea with interest. This is how the myth was born.
The Mystery of the Geoglyphs
For decades, scientists and amateurs have tried to explain the origin of geometric patterns in the desert, which occupy an area of almost 500 square kilometers. Although at first glance the history of their origin in Southern Peru is quite clear. For several centuries, the Nazca Desert served as a canvas for the ancient Indians, on which for some reason they painted mysterious signs. There are dark stones on the surface, and if they are removed, light sedimentary rocks will be exposed. This sharp contrast of colors was used by the Peruvians to create geoglyph drawings: the background for the images was the dark color of the soil. They decorated desert areas with straight lines, trapezoids, spirals and huge animal figures.
Nazca Desert. Coordinates of the drawings
These signs are so huge that they can only be seen from an airplane. However, anyone today can admire the mysterious symbols without leaving home; just run any program on your computer that displays satellite images of the Earth. The coordinates of the desert are 14°41"18.31"S 75°07"23.01"W.
In 1994, unusual drawings were included in the list of monuments that make up the World Heritage Site. cultural heritage. And then the whole world knew where the Nazca Desert was. People wondered who the mysterious gallery was intended for. To the gods in heaven who read human souls? Or maybe in this ancient country Aliens once built a cosmodrome, so the markings remain? Or is this the first astronomy textbook where the course of the planet Venus represents the wing of some bird? Or maybe these are family signs that clans used to mark the territories they inhabited? It was even suggested that in this way the Indians designated the flow of underground streams, supposedly this secret card water sources. In general, there were a great many hypotheses, the best minds competed to interpret the meaning of what was written, but no one was in a hurry to select the facts. Almost all assumptions were made speculatively - rarely anyone dared to go to the utter distance. So the Nazca Desert (photo below) remained one of the most mysterious places planet, and its ancient inhabitants - one of the most interesting cultures of pre-Columbian America.
The path to the solution
From 1997 to 2006, scientists from a variety of disciplines conducted extensive research in the Peruvian desert. The facts that they collected completely debunked all the explanations of the esotericists. There are no cosmic secrets left! The Nazca desert turned out to be quite earthly. Her drawings also speak of the earthly, even too earthly. But first things first.
Expedition to Peru
In 1997, an expedition organized by the German Archaeological Institute began to study geoglyphs and the culture of the Nazca inhabitants in the vicinity. settlement Palpa. The place was chosen based on the fact that it is located in close proximity to the villages where the ancient Indians lived. “To understand the meaning of the drawings, you need to look closely at the people who created them,” the scientists said.
Landscape exploration
As part of the project, we studied climatic features of this area. This clarified the origin of the symbols. Previously, in the place where the Nazca Desert now lies, there was a flat steppe area. It was formed from a basin separating the Andes and the Coastal Cordillera (another mountain range). During the Pleistocene, it was filled with sedimentary rocks and pebbles. Here comes the ideal “canvas” for applying all kinds of drawings.
A couple of thousand years ago, palm trees grew here, llamas grazed, and people lived as if in the Garden of Eden. Where the Nazca Desert stretches today, there used to be even heavy rains and floods. But around 1800 BC. e. The climate became much drier. The drought burned the grassy steppe, so people had to settle in river valleys - natural oases. But the desert continued its offensive and came close to mountain ranges. Its eastern edge moved 20 kilometers towards the Andes, and the Indians were forced to leave for mountain valleys located at an altitude of 400-800 meters above sea level. And when the climate became even drier (around 600 AD), the Nazca culture disappeared completely. All that remained of her were the mysterious signs inscribed on the ground. Thanks to the extremely dry climate, they survived for thousands of years.
Nazca Desert. Drawings
Having studied the living environment of the creators of the mysterious geoglyphs, the researchers were able to interpret them. The earliest lineages appeared about 3800 years ago, when the first settlements arose in the area of the city of Palpa. Southern Peruvians created their “art gallery” in the open air, among the rocks. They carved and scratched various patterns on the brown-red stones, chimeras of both people and animals. The “Revolution in Art” took place in the Peruvian desert around 200 BC. e. Artists, who previously covered only rocks with paintings, began to paint the largest canvas given to them by nature itself - the plateau stretching before their eyes. Here the masters had room to expand. But instead of figurative compositions, artists now gave preference to lines and geometric shapes.
Geoglyphs - part of the ritual
So why were these signs created? Certainly not for us to admire them today. Scientists believe that the drawings were part of the “sanctuary”; these are so-called ceremonial figures that have a purely mystical meaning. Geophysicists examined the soil along the lines (their depth is almost 30 centimeters) and found that it was highly compacted. 70 geoglyphs depicting some creatures and animals are significantly trampled, as if crowds of people had been walking here for centuries. In fact, various festivals related to the cult of water and fertility were held here. The drier the plateau became, the more often the priests performed magical ceremonies in order to call for rain. Of the ten trapezoids and lines, nine are facing the mountains, where the saving precipitation came from. Magic helped for a long time, and the clouds carrying moisture returned. However, in 600 AD the gods became completely angry with the people who settled in this region.
Debunking the myth
The largest paintings in the Nazca Desert appeared at a time when the rains almost stopped. Most likely, people thus asked the stern Indian god to heed their suffering; they hoped that at least he would notice such signals. But God remained deaf and blind to the prayers. It didn't rain. Eventually the Indians left motherland and set off to look for a flourishing country. And after a couple of centuries, when the climate became milder, the Nazca desert regained its inhabitants. People settled here who knew nothing about the previous owners of these lands. Only the lines on the ground stretching into the distance reminded us that once here a man tried to speak to the gods. However, the meaning of the drawings had already been forgotten. Now only scientists are beginning to understand the reason for the appearance of these writings - huge signs that seem ready to survive eternity.
These gigantic drawings are visible only from a great height: only when flying by plane over the Nazca plateau, which is located in the southern part of Peru, can you see this “art gallery” on the ground, consisting of images of birds and animals, flowers and insects. The regular contours of a lizard, hummingbird, monkey, condor and spider are intersected by numerous straight lines, spirals, triangles, trapezoids and other geometric shapes.
Where did this heritage come from, what was the purpose of the ancient artists who created desert masterpieces, and, finally, what technologies allowed them to maintain the ideal proportions of the drawings, the size of the smallest of which is 46 meters, and the largest - the pelican - reaches 285 meters? These questions have occupied the heads of scientists from the very moment the Nazca geoglyphs were discovered - since 1939, when a plane with an American archaeologist on board flew over the desert.
The technique for making all the drawings is the same: the outline of the image is a single unbroken line that stretches for tens and hundreds of meters and often crosses hills, depressions and dry river beds. Tell me, how, without the help of special instruments and control from a height, was it possible to draw all these straight lines, curves and broken lines, without ever deviating even half a degree from the given direction?
Yes, hundreds of meters - the lines of some geometric shapes stretch for 8 kilometers! Without the opportunity to rise high above the “canvas”, it is more than difficult to get an idea of the nature of the drawing and, moreover, the correctness of the direction taken. And that is not all. Careful studies of drawings and figures have shown that all geoglyphs are subject to strict mathematical laws.
How were these “canvases” created? Like many other geoglyphs, with the help of digging trenches: moving along a given contour, the ancient creators plowed the desert earth, digging up soil along the entire length of the pattern, 120-140 cm wide and 25-35 cm deep. Due to the peculiarities of the semi-desert climate, the drawings of the Nazca plate have survived to this day.
Another mystery that haunts researchers: how did it happen that the workers digging numerous trenches (remember that some lines are several kilometers long) did not leave any traces of their presence - at least trampled paths? By and large, pundits do not have exact answers to any of the pressing questions - only hypotheses.
Except that the time of creation of the drawings and lines was determined relatively accurately - the geoglyphs were formed before the 12th century, when the Incas settled the valley. This means that the authorship of the marvelous patterns is attributed to the predecessors of the Incas - the Nazca civilization. One can only guess about the purpose of creating a “gallery” in the desert. Based on the fact that the huge paintings are visible only from a great height, it is logical to assume that the ancient people who inhabited the desert tried to communicate with the deities in this way.
According to other versions, representatives of the Nazca civilization tried to reproduce a celestial map of constellations using patterns and drawings or transmitted an encrypted message to someone. One of the idle assumptions is completely devoid of common sense: the signs supposedly inscribed on the face of the earth served runway for alien ships. One thing is clear: there are still far more questions in the matter of the geoglyphs of the Nazca plateau than answers - huge drawings in the middle of the desert remain an unsolved mystery to this day.
