an astronomical calendar!
Maria Reicher believes that the Nazca lines were created by
ancient Peruvians to form a kind of calendar.
She found that the lines aren't formed by marks in the earth, but
by dark, purplish rocks that form borders and rows. The Nazcan
people separated these rocks, which litter the desert, from the
yellowish sand.
Ancient Peruvians depended on the annual spring rains for their
very existence. Since they needed time to prepare their fields
before rainy season began, they made a point of learning when the
seasons changed.
Reicher noticed that the lines of rocks point to a place on the
horizon where the sun rose and set during the winter and summer
solstice—the times when the seasons change. Her theory is
that the Nazcans used these lines as a sort of grand astronomical
calendar, to help them get ready for the all-important change of
seasons.
Von Daniken's theory
Using (and misusing) evidence
Back to Hot Science Home Space
NOVA Home |
WGBH Home |
PBS Home
Search |
Feedback |
Shop
© 1996 WGBH
|
|