The
Nazca lines are a group of
geoglyphs made in the soil of the
Nazca Desert in southern Peru. They were created in two major phases – the
Paracas phase (from 400 to 200 BC) and the
Nazca phase (from 200 BC to 500 AD). The combined length of all the lines is more than 1,300 km (800 mi), and the group covers an area of about 50 km
2 (19 sq mi). Most lines run straight across the landscape, but there are also figurative designs of animals and plants. Scholars differ in interpreting the purpose of the designs, but in general, they ascribe religious significance to them. The lines were designated as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1994. This is an aerial view of the geoglyph known as the "monkey", one of the most well-known in the Nazca lines.
Photograph credit: Diego Delso
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