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Declared
"Archaeological World Heritage Site" by UNESCO (1994).
The Nazca Lines are located in the arid Peruvian coastal plain,
some 400 km south of Lima, the geoglyphs of Nazca and the pampas
of Jumana cover about 450 sq. km. The Nazca Lines, which were
scratched on the surface of the ground between 500 B.C. and A.D.
500, are among archaeology's greatest enigmas because of their
quantity, nature, size and continuity. The geoglyphs depict
living creatures, stylized plants and imaginary beings, as well
as geometric figures several kilometers long. They are believed
to have had ritual astronomical functions.
Maximum cultural expression of the Nazca civilization.
Unique place in the world, full with mystery and mysticism,
wonderful traces of immense figures and lines of spectacular
perfection. Diverse scientific theories have been placed on
these lines. Some theories only explain its possible
construction associated to extraterrestrial beings. The great
constructions of observatories of astronomical cycles,
well-known as the Nazca Lines, were used by the farmers to know
and control the meteorological agrarian cycles, aside from their
possible religious significance (Maria Reiche's theory).
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