The
Nazca Lines
Introduction
The world is full
of mysterious places that have outlived the history of their construction. These
are the pyramids, citadels, stone circles and statues that are much written about
and are visited by hordes of tourists. One quality
that makes humans unique is their ability to create and appreciate works of art.
Determining which ancient sites are art, and which are something more, is a tough
call to make. Therefore, for the purposes of this book, I have set three requirements
that can help us make such a decision. If the purpose of a site is to inform
us about a cyclical global catastrophe, it must:
1.
Be able to survive long periods of time
Whether
the period between catastrophes is 1,000 or 100,000 years, the site must be able
to endure the extremes of weather and human interaction. I doubt that any structure
built today is designed to last even one millennium, and there is a reason for
that - they don't need to. Yet, globally there are sites that have outlasted
the very cultures that built them - often of such gigantic dimensions it would
be difficult to recreate them today.
2. Use
the universal languages of numbers or symbols Written
languages are impossible to rely on, for they keep on changing. Not only are
they affected by the latest fads and fashions, they can disappear altogether due
to the assimilations and annihilations that are caused by cultural conflict. Just
look at today's near extinction of the Gaelic language, and how difficult it is
to read Shakespeare's "English" today. Languages will always change, whereas
mathematics is a universal constant. A building four times as long as it is wide
will always represent a ratio of 4:1, no matter how old it gets, or who studies
it. Symbols are not perfect, but are still far more stable than words. Especially
so if they resemble a constellation, an animal, a shape and so on. Hieroglyphs
that use indirect representations are more difficult to decipher, yet most of
them have eventually been decoded.
3. Contain
coded information concerning the nature of such a catastrophe
This is the hardest aspect to determine. A good example is
the Great Pyramid of Giza. We have always known of its antiquity, and in the
last century we have become aware of the mathematics contained within its dimensions.
But is it trying to tell us something? Theories abound and can become overwhelming.
Therefore I have chosen to concentrate on a single, succinct idea, the cyclical
global catastrophe, and apply it to not only the Giza complex, but every ancient
site I study.
The Nazca lines conform to these three
rules. They are at least 1500 years old, and are capable of lasting very much
longer than that. That they embody symbols is obvious, and it is my belief that
they describe the Great Flood.
 This
is just a small portion of my online book, Survive 2012 - a look into possible
ways our world might end, and how to survive. Available in bookstores sometime
before 2012, fingers-crossed... |
General Information
The
Nazca lines and figures cover a total area of 520 square kilometres.[1]
They are situated 400 kilometres south of Lima on the Pampa Colorada - a desolate
plain between the Peruvian coast and the Andes Mountains (see
this map of Peru ). It is a rocky desert, rather than a sandy one. Its
surface is covered in small stones that are dark red because they contain ferrous
oxide. These have been cleared away to expose the lighter-coloured soil underneath,
creating a multitude of lines.
Dozens of stylised
figures have also been etched onto the desert, creating the world's largest piece
of art. The figures have each been drawn using a singular continuous line, with
the largest being some 285 metres long. There are 70 figures in total. In the
most part they are creatures, such as a hummingbird, llama or dog - however a
flower, loom and geometric shapes can also be seen.
It
has been mentioned by other researchers that many of the creatures represented
are not native to the area. The most striking example of this is the 45 metre
long Spider. It was identified as a member of the rare genus Ricinulei,
which is only found in the most remote and inaccessible parts of the Amazon Jungle.
These spiders are only 5-10 mm in length. One leg is noticeably longer - it is
a protrusible tube, and at its tip is the spider's reproductive organ, normally
only visible with the aid of a microscope.[2]
This information appears to signify
an advanced ancient culture at work, but fails when inspected more closely. The
only similarity between the spider figure and a Ricinulei is the extended
leg. Otherwise the figure could be just a common local spider. Or the same as
the depiction found at the Etowah Mounds (USA). Many of the figures on the plain
have an extra leg or pathway attached to them - all we have here is a coincidental
stylisation.
Overlaying the figures are 800
straight lines, some stretching far away, over hills and into the distance. The
longest attain a length of eight kilometres, with one being an incredible 65 kilometres
long! The lines were formed on top of the drawings and cut right through them.
This suggests that they were created at a later date, unless of course this effect
was done deliberately.
Pilots first noticed them
in the 1920s. In 1941 Dr Paul Kosok from the Long Island University was despatched
to survey them. Once there, he found the faint outline of a bird - the first
animal figure to be discovered. He also realised that most of the lines fanned
out from "radiating centres", and decided that they described astronomical information.
To survey Nazca properly would take many years, and he was too busy on other projects
to do it himself. He found his replacement in a German woman who was translating
an academic paper into Spanish for him. Maria Reiche had shifted to Peru in 1932
to work as a private teacher, but before long she was teaching languages and translating.
Initially Reiche made short visits to the lines from her home in Lima. But as
time went by, and she became more and more dedicated to solving the enigma, she
moved closer to the lines - shifting from a Nazca hotel to a ranch that was within
walking distance of the lines. After a decade on the ranch, she decided to live
on-site, eventually dedicating her remaining 50 years to studying the patterns
and working toward a solution.
It
was Reiche who discovered the other animal figures. None of these were observable
from the air until she had carefully cleaned away the dust of centuries that obscured
them. She agreed with Kosok that their meaning was derived from astronomy, and
was unable to consider other possibilities. She privately published a book on
the subject, but failed to conclusively prove her theories.
Apart from the multitude of straight lines, Maria found
triangles, "needle and thread" patterns, trapezoids, a labyrinth and spirals.
There are more than a hundred spirals. Near the centre of one she found a stone
engraved with a serpent design and a severed head - prompting her to believe that
every spiral at Nazca represented a serpent. The image below is from a textile
that was wrapped around a mummy found near Nazca.
Her
contribution was more than just highlighting the lines' presence - she protected
them as well. Human feet and vehicles
can easily ruin the lines. Right up until her death at 95, Reiche almost single-handedly
saved the lines from being ruined by trespassers, even known to chase them away
in her wheelchair. Thanks to her efforts, which also kept governments and private
enterprise at bay, the lines have now been declared a ''world
cultural heritage site'' by UNESCO.
Because
of their huge size, the only way to appreciate the lines and images is from the
air, which automatically poses the question: Did ancient cultures have a means
of flying? Authors such as Erich von Däniken latched onto this idea, and
have used this site as the cornerstone of their Ancient Astronaut hypothesis,
ignoring any non-UFO explanations.[*]
There are other questions we can ask that are more
productive in our search for a solution...
Discuss Survive
2012 at our forumGive the author your thoughts, and discuss any 2012
ideas with others, at 2012 Forum |
Comments from Visitors
spikeinme:
now this is a strange thought. the thought of these things being THAT old and still existing. is this maybe similar to crop circles of the 1700's or something maybe?
- interesting stuff
(12.08.2004, 01:43)
sanjuro:
hum lost civilization the nazca...
- it would be cool we also talk about the olmeq : we do not know everything about them
(01.01.2005, 16:45)
-=]|[Takeo]|[=-:
First stage of 2012 within 6 weeks (maybe already happened) So perpare!
- There should be an order or a clan for people who want to survive it. Interested? Email me
(24.02.2005, 15:10)
valerie:
I want to study more about the earth design that looked like a landing strip. Please e-mail any information you have on that one similar in other parts of the world. Thanks,Val
(25.03.2005, 20:18)
The comments section is now closed, but you can still email me, or even
better, visit 2012 Forum
Script by Alex
|
[*] Whether or not UFO's exist is outside the scope of this book.
[1] The Marshall Travel Atlas of Mysterious Places,
Marshall Editions, 1977, p98
[2] The Marshall Travel Atlas of Mysterious Places,
Marshall Editions, 1977, p98, first determined by Hawkins, Beyond Stonehenge,
Arrow Books, London, 1977
