Gerard M. Foley
Travel & Photography Collection
The Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines are mysterious markings on the desert of Nazca, Peru. They were made in the first centuries of our era by moving the stones of the plain. They are not perceptible from the ground, but were noticed when airplanes began to fly across the region as a part of ordinary commercial flights. There are as many theories about the reasons for making them as there are exparts. Similar markings are on many slopes along the Pacific Coast and in Peru, but Nazca is unique in that the figures and markings can only be seen from the air.
I took these pictures during our flight on a misty day. They are much enhanced by digital processing, and reveal to me many things I was unable to distinguish during the flight.
There are many straight lines, some of them defining large long accurate rectangles, which look enough like airport runaways to affect some of the less probable theories about their origin. Also there are curved lines seeming to depict living things, or parts of them. In the lower left of this picture are some of these. I cannot recognize the inspiration for this particular group.
This obviously a parrot
Here is a monkey
Enlarged clip of the monkey
Falcon
Another bird?
Another bird
More hands
As you can see, particularly in the case of the monkey, the Nazca lines are not always easy to see. Modern activity has obscured many of them. Some of the modern changes are incidental to the construction of the Pan-American Highway and mining activity. Some has been intentional, whether vandalism, or commercial or political advertising.
I found the hummingbird in one of my pictures, not only once, but three times, and lost it every time. I've found it again, in not only one but two pictures. Here's one of them.
Hummingbird
Quite apart from the fascinating lines and figures on the Nazca plains, I think the topography is quite beautiful from the air.
Among the theories about the lines, my personal favorite is one from the co-discoverer of the lines, that the ancients were addressing Gods who were obviously a long way above. So the drawings had to be very large.
My GPS showed the plain to be about 14deg 42min S 75deg 08min W
