Nazca Lines

Why in the news?

• The new lines included abstract humanoids, "decapitated heads," domesticated animals, fish, birds, cats, a potential "ceremonial scene" and human/animal interactions.
• The most bizarre shape was arguably a 72-foot-long (22 meters) "killer whale holding a knife."
• The staggering new haul was unearthed in just six months with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) and almost doubles the number of known geoglyphs in the region.

What are Nazca Lines?

• The Nazca Lines are a group of large human-carved geoglyphs located in a roughly 170-square-mile (440 square kilometres) area of Peru's Nazca Desert.
• The ancient artworks were likely created between 200 B.C. and A.D. 500 by members of the pre-Incan civilisation, known as the Nazca (or Nasca), who removed the upper layers of the desert's red-tinged surface pebbles to reveal sections of lighter soil in a wide range of different shapes and sizes.
• Researchers had already found around 430 Nazca Lines since the mysterious shapes were rediscovered by aeroplane passengers in the 1920s.
• Most of these geoglyphs were identified in the last 20 years with the help of advancements in satellite imagery.