Figures on the plains in Peru. Nazca Plateau. Mysterious Nazca Lines. Nazca geoglyphs

What miracles does ancient history contain? 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 about incomprehensible 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

Scientists and laymen have tried for decades to explain the origins in the desert. geometric patterns, occupying 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 rocks 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 dark color 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 constitute the World 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 reading 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 was a secret map of 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 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 of the village of 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, the climatic features of the area were studied. 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 advance and came close to the 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 native land 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.

Many centuries ago, on the territory of an exotic country in which the main attractions of Peru - mysterious pyramids and religious buildings - were perfectly preserved, there was a highly developed Inca civilization. However, even before its appearance, it was founded great empire Nazca, which appeared in the desert of the same name and existed until the 2nd century AD in the south of the country. The ancient Indians had a deep knowledge of irrigation and land reclamation.

Giant drawings

The people who disappeared from the face of the earth gained fame thanks to mysterious hieroglyphs that aroused the interest of scientists. Even opinions were expressed regarding the alien origin of figures and lines discovered quite accidentally in the 20th century. Nazca geoglyphs are huge drawings painted on the surface of the earth and not intended for public viewing. Thanks to the arid climate, they are perfectly preserved.

Bizarre and invisible from the ground, the signs are made in a single manner on a huge scale. At first glance, these patterns are barely distinguishable and represent an incomprehensible interweaving of all the lines scratched in the ground. The true form of the images can only be observed from above, when the chaos takes on meaning.

Craving for self-expression

People have always loved to draw and did it on rocks, cave walls, and then on paper. From the very early period existence of humanity, they had a craving for self-expression. The most ancient images petroglyphs (symbols on rocks) and geoglyphs (signs on the ground) are considered. The unusual patterns discovered in the desert are, according to scientists, an unparalleled historical monument, the inscriptions of which were written by giant hands. At the ends forming the drawings, wooden piles were found driven into the soil, which played the role of coordinate points when starting work.

The lifeless Nazca desert, which holds secrets

Surrounded by the Andes and sandy hills, the desert is located almost 500 km from the small city of Lima. The coordinates of the Nazca geoglyphs and the mysterious plateau on which they were discovered are 14°41"18.31"S 75°07"23.01"W. The uninhabited space of the earth, shrouded in secrecy, covers an area of ​​500 square kilometers. Rare drops of rain falling on the hot surface immediately evaporated.

The ancient Indians realized that the lifeless desert was an ideal place for burials, and they built tombs in dry layers that ensured incorruptibility. Archaeologists have discovered more than 200 thousand hollow ceramic vessels decorated with patterns and stylized designs. It is believed that the finds are doubles of small bowls that served as the so-called receptacle for the soul in the grave of the deceased.

Plateau covered with intricate patterns

Surprise is caused by the surface natural area, covered with an unusual “engraving”, slightly reminiscent of a tattoo. The geoglyphs of the Nazca Desert are not very deep, but gigantic in size, reaching tens and hundreds of meters. Mysterious lines intersect and overlap each other, combining into intricate patterns. One of the most mysterious places on our planet looks like a gigantic drawing board.

From the nearby foothills, it is not possible to see the giant images dug into the earth's firmament: they look like separate stripes or shapeless strokes. And you can only see them from above. Thus, a bird resembling a hummingbird is about 50 meters long, and a flying condor is more than 120 meters long.

Mysterious symbols

In total, about 13 thousand Nazca lines and geoglyphs, made in the soil, were found on the plateau. They are grooves of varying widths dug into the desert surface. Surprisingly, the lines do not change due to uneven terrain, remaining perfectly smooth and continuous. Among the images there are mysterious, but very authentically drawn birds and animals. There are also figures of people, but they are less expressive.

The mysterious symbols, which upon closer inspection turn out to be huge scratches on the surface of the desert, were discovered thanks to photographs taken from an airplane in 1930. From a bird's eye view, it is clear that the mysterious drawings were created by removing the upper crushed stone, darkened by time, from the light lower layer. The black deposit is called “desert tan” and is made up of a compound of iron and manganese. The exposed light soil has this shade due to the large amount of lime, which fresh air hardens quickly. In addition, the preservation of the geoglyphs of the Nazca Plateau was facilitated by high temperatures and the absence of winds with precipitation.

Technique for making giant drawings

This is a rather interesting technique: first, the Indians made a sketch on the ground of the future work, and each straight line of the image was divided into segments. Then they were transferred to the desert surface using stakes in the form of furrows up to 50 centimeters deep. And if it was necessary to draw a curve, then it was divided into many short arcs. Each resulting drawing was outlined with a continuous line, and the creators of the unique creations included in the List World Heritage UNESCO, have never seen them in their entirety. Since 1946, scientists began to seriously study unusual masterpieces.

Another secret

It is curious that the Nazca geoglyphs in Peru were applied manually in two stages: images of animals and birds appeared much earlier than the lines and stripes superimposed on complex figures. And it must be admitted that the early phase was more advanced, because the creation of zoomorphic images required very high skill than simply cutting straight lines in the ground.

The difference between very high-quality and not very skillfully executed images is quite large, which gave rise to rumors about the creation of symbols at different times (possibly by other cultures). In addition, scientists even remembered those whom our ancestors called their gods, although official science considers them fiction, denying the existence of an ancient developed civilization. Numerous artifacts indicate otherwise, and those who lived several thousand years before us possessed the highest technologies that surpass modern capabilities.

This discrepancy indicates a difference both in the capabilities of the “artists” and in the technique of execution. If we consider that any society develops from simple to complex, experiencing ups and downs, then the level of civilization always increases. However, in this case, the scheme is violated, and primitive technologies replace developed technologies.

Indians who imitated the drawings

It is believed that the early author of all Nazca geoglyphs (photos presented in the article) was a highly developed civilization. Precisely calibrated drawings crossing complex terrain required enormous labor costs and special skill. It is these signs that amaze scientists and tourists with their careful execution and their scope. And the Indian tribes who lived on the plateau simply tried to imitate the remaining examples. But they didn’t have many opportunities, which is why shoddy copies appeared. The facts speak of one thing: the oldest drawings were made either by representatives of another civilization, or with their direct participation.

However, not all researchers agree with this theory. They combine the two stages, making a cautious assumption that the Nazca civilization possessed a special technique of artistic expression.

Has the mystery of the Nazca geoglyphs been solved?

The images, the true purpose of which scientists cannot yet understand, are striking in their size. But why did the Indians do such a titanic job? Some researchers believe that this is a giant calendar that accurately shows the change of seasons, and all the drawings are in one way or another connected with winter and summer solstice. Perhaps representatives of the Nazca culture were astronomers who observed celestial bodies. For example, a huge image of a spider, according to a scientist at the Chicago Planetarium, is a diagram of the star cluster of the Orion constellation.

Others are sure that the Nazca geoglyphs, which are impossible to see from the ground, have a cult meaning: this is how the Indians communicated with their gods. The famous archaeologist J. Reinhard is one of them. He sees in the kilometer-long lines of roads that led to the place of worship of deities. And all the figures of animals, insects or birds are the personification of living creatures dying without water. And he draws his conclusion: the Indians asked for life-giving moisture - the basis of life. However, most scientists do not support the version, considering it doubtful.

Still others believe that this is a kind of map of the Lake Titicaca area, only its scale is 1:16. However, no one can answer who it was intended for. And some see in the bizarre patterns a map of the starry sky transferred to the surface of the desert.

Still others, who saw the crossed lines, suggested that this was how the runway of the ancients was designated. spaceships. Scientists examined an ancient cosmodrome in a plateau formed by mudflow deposits. But why do aliens navigating interstellar space need such primitive visual cues? In addition, there is not a single evidence of the use of the desert for takeoff or landing of aircraft. But the number of supporters of the alien version is not decreasing.

Still others claim that all images of people, animals and birds were made in memory of the Flood.

Sixth put forward a hypothesis according to which the ancient Nazca Indians mastered aeronautics, which is confirmed by the found ceramic products. They clearly show symbols resembling balloons. That is why all Nazca geoglyphs are visible only from a great height.

Trident on the Paracas Peninsula (Peru)

To date, there are approximately 30 hypotheses, each of which tries to explain the strange masterpieces of the Indians. One cannot fail to mention another interesting hypothesis. Some archaeologists who saw the image of the giant trident El Candelabro, more than 128 meters long, on the slope of the Pisco rock on the Paracas Peninsula, believed that it contained the key to the solution. The gigantic figure is visible only from the sea or air. If you mentally draw a straight line from the middle prong, it will turn out that it is directed towards the Nazca Desert (Peru) covered with strange lines. The geoglyph was made several hundred years before the birth of Christ.

Nobody knows who created it and why. Researchers believe that it is a symbol of the mythical Atlantis, which contains important information about our planet.

An ancient irrigation system?

Several years ago, archaeologists who studied the geoglyphs of the Nazca Desert, visible even from space, stated that the spiral lines that ended in funnels were the oldest aqueducts. Thanks to an unusual hydraulic system, water appeared on the plateau, where drought had always reigned.

An extensive system of canals distributed life-giving moisture to those areas where it was needed. Wind entered through holes in the ground, which helped drive away the remaining water.

The craftsmanship of the ancient Indians

Other questions arise regarding mystical patterns. Our contemporaries are surprised how the ancient Indians created trenches more than a kilometer long in rough terrain. Even using modern methods of geodetic measurements, it is impossible to carry out ideal straight line It's quite difficult on the ground. But the Nazca Indians (or representatives of another civilization) did it very easily, cutting ditches through ravines or hills. Moreover, the edges of all lines are ideal parallel.

Unusual find

Recently, not far from the desert, in which unique drawings were found, which are traces of ancient civilization, an international expedition has discovered an unusual mummy with three fingers and toes. It is the limbs that look very strange. The sensational find, strewn with white powder, looks a bit like a plaster sculpture containing a skeleton with organ remains inside. Studies have shown that the age of the mummy is more than 6 thousand years, and the powder has embalming properties.

The genome of the individual was solved by Russian scientists, who stated that it was not a human mutant, but a representative of an extraterrestrial race. According to experts, next to the mummified body there were drawings depicting a three-fingered creature. His face can also be found on the surface of the desert.

However, not all scientists believed the Russians' findings. Many are still convinced that this is a skillfully executed fake, and the find has all the signs of a hoax.

New drawings and riddles without answers

In April of this year, the scientific world was rocked by information that new Nazca geoglyphs had been discovered using drones. 50 unknown images, affected by time, cannot be seen with the naked eye. They were discovered not only by aerial photographs, but also by subsequent analysis using latest technologies. It is curious that most of the half-erased drawings of various sizes are abstract patterns and warriors of the Paracas civilization.

Scientists have stated that some of the discovered symbols were made by the ancestors of the Nazca Indians. Soil erosion previously prevented the discovery: the crumbling soil of the plateau made the intricate patterns blurred. Therefore, it was not possible to view the Nazca geoglyphs from a satellite or from an airplane. And only thanks to the cameras high resolution installed on drones (unmanned aerial vehicles), the images were clear.

Environmental issues

For now, the mystery of the Nazca geoglyphs remains unsolved. The matter is further complicated by the fact that now the plateau has the status of a sacred zone, where archaeological excavations are prohibited. Access to the anomalous territory, reminiscent of a giant easel on which ancient “artists” left their messages, is closed.

In addition, the desert faces an environmental threat: deforestation and pollution are changing its climate. Due to frequent rains, unique creations on earth can fall into oblivion. And descendants will never know the whole truth. Unfortunately, nothing has been done to save them yet.

Everyone can admire the mysterious patterns of the desert

Travelers planning to visit Peru should remember that the plateau belongs to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and it is prohibited to visit it without permission. But tourists are loved in Nazca because they allow local residents to live well in a very inhospitable area. Thanks to the constant flow of foreigners, people survive.

However, anyone who wants to admire the mysterious signs can do so without even leaving home. It is necessary to launch a special program demonstrating satellite images of the planet. Let us recall once again the coordinates of geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert – 14°41"18.31"S 75°07"23.01"W.

Nazca, a small ancient town in southern Peru, attracts numerous tourists from all over the world. There are no outstanding architectural sights here, but there is something that does not leave even the biggest skeptics indifferent: giant images on the earth's surface that are more than two thousand years old. How these drawings appeared here, what they were used for is still a mystery, despite large number hypotheses. But thanks to such objects as the Nazca Lines, Peru has become a “magnet” for researchers, mystics and everyone interested in still unsolved mysteries.

Story

The “discoverers” of amazing drawings were pilots back in 1927, who noticed numerous lines and images on a plateau near the Pacific Ocean. But scientists became interested in this discovery only a decade later, when Paul Kosok, an American historian, published a series of photographs taken from the air.

However, strange images were known much earlier. As early as 1553, the Spanish priest and scientist Pedro Césa de León, writing about the conquest of South America, mentioned “signs among the sands to divine the laid path.” The most remarkable thing is that he did not regard these drawings as something strange or inexplicable. Perhaps more was known about the purpose of geoglyphs in those days? This question also remains open.

Among the scientists who studied the lines in the Nazca Desert, the greatest contribution to the development and popularization of the topic belongs to the German archaeologist Maria Reiche. She worked as an assistant to Paul Kokos, and when he stopped research in 1948, Reiche continued the work. But her contribution is important not only from a scientific point of view. Thanks to the efforts of the researcher, some of the Nazca lines were saved from destruction.

Research amazing monument Reiche described the ancient civilization in the book “The Secret of the Desert,” and the fee was spent on preserving the pristine appearance of the area and building an observation tower.

Subsequently, aerial photography of the reserve was carried out repeatedly, but detailed map, including all drawings. Doesn't exist yet.

Description of the drawings

In the photo of the Nazca Lines in Peru you can see clear images of enormous size. Among them are about 700 regular geometric shapes (trapezoids, quadrangles, triangles, etc.). All these lines retain their geometry even on complex terrain, and the contours remain clear where they overlap each other. Some of the figures are clearly oriented towards the cardinal directions. No less surprising are the clear edges of figures whose size exceeds several kilometers.

But even more amazing are the semantic images. On the plateau there are about three dozen drawings of animals, birds, fish, plants and even humans. All of them are of impressive size. Here you can see:

• a bird almost three hundred meters long;
• a two-hundred-meter lizard;
• a hundred-meter condor;
• eighty-meter spider.

In total, there are approximately one and a half thousand images and figures on the plateau. The largest of them measure about 270 m. But, despite careful study over the years, Nazca continues to delight with discoveries. So in 2017, after restoration work, scientists discovered another drawing - an image of a killer whale. They suggested that this image may be one of the most ancient. Most geoglyphs date back to around 200 BC.

Because of large sizes images, being on the ground, it is impossible to see them - the full picture is revealed only from above. From the observation tower, where tourists can climb, the view is also extremely limited - you can only see two drawings. To admire ancient arts, you need

Origin theories

Since the discovery of the Nazca lines, hypotheses have been put forward one after another. There are several most popular theories.

Religious

According to this hypothesis, images of such large size the ancient population of Peru built so that the gods could notice them from space. For example, archaeologist Johan Reinhakd was inclined to this point of view. In 1985, he published research indicating ancient Peruvians worshiped the elements. In particular, the cult of mountains and the cult of water were widespread in these territories. Thus, it was suggested that the drawings on the ground are nothing more than part of religious rituals.

Astronomical

This theory was put forward by the first researchers - Coconut and Reiche. They believed that many of the lines were indicators of the places of sunrise and sunset of the Sun and other celestial bodies. But the version was refuted by the British archaeoastronomer Gerald Hawkins, who back in the 70s of the last century proved that no more than 20% of the Nazca lines can be associated with celestial landmarks. And taking into account the different directions of the lines, the astronomical hypothesis looks unconvincing.

Demonstrative

Astronomer Robin Edgar did not notice any scientific implications in the drawings on the Peruvian plateau. He also leaned towards metaphysical reasons. Truth believed that numerous furrows were dug not for the purpose of worship, but as a response to constant solar eclipses that happened during this period in Peru.

Technical

Some researchers believe that the lines are associated with the possibility of building aircraft. As proof of this version, there were even attempts to build an airplane from materials available at that time. A similar version is put forward by Russian researcher A. Sklyarov in the book “Nazca. Giant drawings in the margins." He believes that the ancient civilization in Peru was highly developed and possessed not only aircraft, but even used laser technology.

Alien

Finally, there are those who believe that the drawings were used by extraterrestrials - as a way of communication, as a place to land flying objects, etc. Even the strange remains of unknown creatures discovered in these parts are cited as evidence. Others, on the contrary, are sure that Peruvian mummies, like the Nazca Lines, are fakes and fraud.

Nazca Mystery Revealed?

Archaeologists have been trying to find an explanation for the mysterious Naska lines for decades. In 2009, the documentary film “Nazca Lines Deciphered” was shot. Anyone interested in the topic will certainly find it interesting to watch. But the answer to the question remains open, and attempts to unravel the mystery continue. For example, a version has recently been put forward that the Nazca lines form a single whole with the aqueduct system. Puquios, a complex hydraulic system, was built to extract underground water. Part of it has survived to this day. Based on images taken from space, it has been suggested that the lines are part of this “water goon”. Precisely an assumption, because the researchers were never able to explain what functional role the drawings played in the plumbing system. But perhaps one fine day, the answer to the Peruvian miracle will still be found.

Palpa plateau

The Palpa Plateau is located on the territory of the state of Peru ( South America). It is 20 km north of the Nazca plateau, and its area is half its size. This natural formation is remarkable for its geoglyphs (a geometric figure made in the earth’s soil and having a length of at least 4 meters), but it is much less popular among people than its southern neighbor. This is explained by the fact that Nazca was the first. The mysterious drawings on it have been studied since 1946. Palpa became known to the general public in 1993, thanks to Erich von Daniken (born 1935).

He is Swiss and is a ufologist by training. In 1968, he published a bestseller called Chariots of the Gods? Unsolved mysteries of the past." The book's circulation was 60 million copies. This figure once again emphasizes the enormous interest people have in the mysteries and secrets of the past.

It was this man who drew public attention to the mysterious geoglyphs of Palpa, which in terms of quality and workmanship were significantly superior to the corresponding images on the Nazca Plateau. It seemed that craftsmen with higher qualifications worked in the north. At the same time, there is a strong opinion that Palpa’s drawings are much older than similar creations by Nazca. Therefore, the ancient civilization living in these places lost certain skills over time. This conclusion raises many questions to which no one has answers.

Flat top of a hill. Nature could not create this

What catches your eye first are the unusual hilltops. They are completely flat. It seems that all the irregularities on them are cut off by some unknown mechanism. At the same time, the slopes have the usual rugged natural relief. Mysterious lines and stripes are located on the flat tops. They intersect and overlap each other. This suggests that first some stripes were created, and then others were applied to them.

The width of some stripes reaches several hundred meters, and the length reaches 20 km. The edges are perfectly parallel. But they not only amaze geometric shapes. There are anthropomorphic geoglyphs on the plateau. These are images that resemble people. There are currently eight of them. There are also images of animals and birds available. All of them have different sizes and are made with high craftsmanship.

Anthropomorphic geoglyph

The main attraction of the Palpa plateau is, perhaps, its very complex geometric images. Even at first glance, you can feel that these creations contain some hidden information. But what kind, for whom and why? This is not clear.

You can consider, for example, a drawing consisting of three circles. They are located next to each other. The outer two have small diameters, and the central circle is significantly larger than them. The circles are connected to each other by lines and thus represent a single composition. The length of this image is a kilometer.

Circle images

The composition includes two triangles superimposed on each other to form a star with six points. In the center of the star there are two circles of different diameters. The smaller circle lies within the larger one. The latter, in turn, has two rectangles intersecting each other. They depict a square, and in its center there is an image resembling a star with 16 rays. Around these geometric designs are small circular pits. Some circles are made not of solid lines, but of similar round holes.

A kilometer away from these geoglyphs, complex in shape, there are other drawings that are no less complex and original. Together they also form a composition called a “sundial”. In the center there is a zigzag, turning into a spiral. It forms six turns, corresponding in shape to circles. Nearby there are stripes and lines randomly crossing each other. At the very edge of the composition there is a drawing that resembles a human head in its outline. It is crowned with horns, and a snake is depicted below it.

Complex geometric image "Sundial"

The image of this reptile is not typical for the Palpa plateau. It is also uncharacteristic of the paintings on the Nazca plateau. The Incas loved to depict snakes. They drew them wherever possible. They especially liked to paint poisonous creatures on the walls of residential buildings and palaces. This civilization associated the snake with wisdom and longevity.

Another geoglyph raises many questions. It is called "Table". And indeed, from above he very much resembles her. The table is located on a flat top and consists of 15 longitudinal and 36 transverse lines. Moreover, the lines are dotted, and crosses are formed at the places where they intersect. Nearby is an image of a person. There are many thin lines crossing it. And they, in turn, are covered by a circle. There are eight squares along it. What kind of composition this is and for what purpose it was made is a complete mystery.

The drawings are huge, so you can see them only by taking off in the air on an airplane, helicopter or on hot air balloon, if you have one at hand. Why did the ancient civilization make such images? Even the artists themselves could not see the drawings in full, unless they had some kind of aircraft.

This is puzzling, but what amazes modern people even more is the accuracy of the images. The same circles have an ideal shape. It can be assumed that the ancient masters used ordinary rope. A peg was driven in, a rope was taken in hand, tied to it, and the man drew a perfect round line on the ground. Thus, masterpieces were created in those distant times.

The explanation is good, but it all comes down to the soil of the plateau. The climate in this area is dry, there is no rain, and there is no wind either. A trace left on the ground can retain its shape for centuries. It is not for nothing that geoglyphs have survived to this day. If the ancient masters used the usual modern people tools were then located in close proximity to the lines and figures. Accordingly, the soil should contain traces of ancient people.

But nothing like this is observed near geoglyphs. The soil is pristinely flat. It seems that no human has ever set foot on it. So how were images made on the ground? An ancient master could not fly to the work site by air, and then hang in a special cradle above the ground and create masterpieces whose age is estimated at a thousand years. No reasonable explanation for this comes to mind.

Maybe the aliens portrayed themselves

Only one version suggests itself - an alien one. Representatives from another planet visited Earth, came into contact with local residents and for some reason they put mysterious drawings on the ground. Naturally, some technologies unknown to modern man were used. Apparently, for the aliens, the drawings on the ground were very important, since the appropriate area with the most suitable climate was chosen.

But the Palpa and Nazca plateaus are by no means the only ones of their kind. Old residents of these places claim that if you go east into the mountains, you can find several more plateaus with mysterious geoglyphs. In their form, they are more intricate and incomprehensible. People of science and tourists, however, so far gravitate only to the Nazca plateau. It is the most popular and popular all over the world. The Palpa plateau and the unknown highland plains in the east are not yet of interest to anyone. However, it's a matter of time. Their turn will come. But will this help reveal the secret of the mysterious drawings? There is no clear and precise answer here.