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The Nazca Lines: A New Perspective on Their Origin and Meaning
Over two millennia ago gigantic figures and lines began to be drawn on the surface of the desert near the town of Nazca in southern Peru. Depictions of animals and birds, geometrical designs, and human-like figures were made on such a scale, including some over 100 m long, that they could only be seen without distortion from the air. This collection of geoglyphs (earth drawings), known today as the Nazca Lines, is considered to be one of the most baffling enigmas of archaeology.
In this book the Nazca geoglyphs are analyzed in terms of traditional religious concepts and economic practices found in the region and elsewhere in the Andes. Archaeological, ecological, and historical information is utilized in the development of a theory to explain the lines and figures as part of religious practices designed primarily to insure the availability of water and the fertility of crops.
In this book the Nazca geoglyphs are analyzed in terms of traditional religious concepts and economic practices found in the region and elsewhere in the Andes. Archaeological, ecological, and historical information is utilized in the development of a theory to explain the lines and figures as part of religious practices designed primarily to insure the availability of water and the fertility of crops.
- GenresArchaeologyHistory
79 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
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About the author
Johan Reinhard
23 books11 followersJohan Reinhard received his Ph.D in anthropology from the University of Vienna, and has conducted anthropological research in the Andes for more than 20 years.
In addition to being a National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence, he is the author of over seventy publications and is a member of several organizations, including the American Anthropological Association, the Society for American Archaeology, the Explorers Club, the Institute of Andean Studies, and the Royal Geographical Society. Three museums have been built to exhibit the archeological finds made during his expeditions: the Museo Santuarios Andinos (Museum of Andean Sanctuaries) in Arequipa (Peru); the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montana (MAAM) (Museum of High Mountain Archaeology) in Salta (Argentina); and a site museum in the village of Challapampa, Island of the Sun, Lake Titicaca (Bolivia). He has received several awards for his research in the Andes, including the Rolex Award for Enterprise in 1987, the Puma de Oro (Bolivia's highest award in the field of archaeology) in 1992, the Gold Medal of the city of Arequipa in 1996, and the Explorers Medal of the Explorers Club in 2002. In 2000 he was selected by Outside magazine as one of “today’s 25 most extraordinary explorers,” and in 2001 the Ford Motor Company chose him as one of twelve "Heroes for the Planet." His latest books include "The Ice Maiden: Inca Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes" (2005), "Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center" (2007), and "Inca Rituals and Sacred Mountains: A Study of the World's Highest Archaeological Sites" (with Constanza Ceruti) (2010).
In addition to being a National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence, he is the author of over seventy publications and is a member of several organizations, including the American Anthropological Association, the Society for American Archaeology, the Explorers Club, the Institute of Andean Studies, and the Royal Geographical Society. Three museums have been built to exhibit the archeological finds made during his expeditions: the Museo Santuarios Andinos (Museum of Andean Sanctuaries) in Arequipa (Peru); the Museo de Arqueologia de Alta Montana (MAAM) (Museum of High Mountain Archaeology) in Salta (Argentina); and a site museum in the village of Challapampa, Island of the Sun, Lake Titicaca (Bolivia). He has received several awards for his research in the Andes, including the Rolex Award for Enterprise in 1987, the Puma de Oro (Bolivia's highest award in the field of archaeology) in 1992, the Gold Medal of the city of Arequipa in 1996, and the Explorers Medal of the Explorers Club in 2002. In 2000 he was selected by Outside magazine as one of “today’s 25 most extraordinary explorers,” and in 2001 the Ford Motor Company chose him as one of twelve "Heroes for the Planet." His latest books include "The Ice Maiden: Inca Mummies, Mountain Gods, and Sacred Sites in the Andes" (2005), "Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center" (2007), and "Inca Rituals and Sacred Mountains: A Study of the World's Highest Archaeological Sites" (with Constanza Ceruti) (2010).
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 17, 2023
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My first look into the Nazca Lines that wasn't a Wiki page or YouTube video. Definitely interesting--a great illustration of how the geography/ecology of an ancient people completely shapes their mythology and worldview. Eking out a survival in one of the driest places on earth while surrounded by water-hogging mountain ranges, it makes sense that the Nazca associated mountains with supreme deities who controlled weather/rainfall, and by extension the fertility and success of the year's crops and livestock. Nazca people clearly applied what science they could--they saw the rain cycles, they saw the mountain's effects on gathering clouds evaporated from oceans on their far sides. The peaks suck up rainfall, and whatever rain fell on the peaks would run down to them and fill their canals. Spirals, birds, fish, and more were associated with the ocean, mountains, etc. I especially found it interesting that Nazca would trek through the mountains to the sea, bringing oceanwater to dump on their nearby hills to summon rain, or bury shells for the same reasons.
But since this is a thesis paper aimed at archeologists specializing on the Nazca Lines, the author presumes a lot of knowledge and doesn't bother explaining why the Nazca might have chosen to keep living in the desert when they clearly had access to places where water wasn't so hard to come by and agriculture would have been easier. I also wish he'd done traditional citation markers (small numbers at the end of sentences) rather than writing out the entire citation every time he needed one. That made each page and every other sentence seem cluttered. I also would've liked more elaboration in places, especially when he was talking about deformations in animals and people being considered holy signs (which he says is why the monkey geoglyphs have 4 fingers rather than 5), or when he talked about how some people in these areas apparently continue to sacrifice animals to summon rain to this day (poor doggies)! Still an interesting read and I'll continue to learn about this pet curiosity of mine :)
My first look into the Nazca Lines that wasn't a Wiki page or YouTube video. Definitely interesting--a great illustration of how the geography/ecology of an ancient people completely shapes their mythology and worldview. Eking out a survival in one of the driest places on earth while surrounded by water-hogging mountain ranges, it makes sense that the Nazca associated mountains with supreme deities who controlled weather/rainfall, and by extension the fertility and success of the year's crops and livestock. Nazca people clearly applied what science they could--they saw the rain cycles, they saw the mountain's effects on gathering clouds evaporated from oceans on their far sides. The peaks suck up rainfall, and whatever rain fell on the peaks would run down to them and fill their canals. Spirals, birds, fish, and more were associated with the ocean, mountains, etc. I especially found it interesting that Nazca would trek through the mountains to the sea, bringing oceanwater to dump on their nearby hills to summon rain, or bury shells for the same reasons.
But since this is a thesis paper aimed at archeologists specializing on the Nazca Lines, the author presumes a lot of knowledge and doesn't bother explaining why the Nazca might have chosen to keep living in the desert when they clearly had access to places where water wasn't so hard to come by and agriculture would have been easier. I also wish he'd done traditional citation markers (small numbers at the end of sentences) rather than writing out the entire citation every time he needed one. That made each page and every other sentence seem cluttered. I also would've liked more elaboration in places, especially when he was talking about deformations in animals and people being considered holy signs (which he says is why the monkey geoglyphs have 4 fingers rather than 5), or when he talked about how some people in these areas apparently continue to sacrifice animals to summon rain to this day (poor doggies)! Still an interesting read and I'll continue to learn about this pet curiosity of mine :)
January 26, 2011
Very academic but a very in-depth look at the ancient Nazca culture, the present-day similarities in cultures in the Andes, and a very plausible explanation for the Nazca lines.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews