The Nazca Lines have drawn thousands of visitors since they were first discovered in the 1920´s. Their mystery is part of their allure; it seems no one can confirm why the lines were drawn. Some scientists believe they are related to astrology, while others thought that perhaps they were drawn for the gods. One group of scientists even purported the myth that the lines, some eight kilometers (five miles) long, were markers for extraterrestrial landings. Today a new theory has emerged that the lines indicated water sources in the desert. Aracari caught up with specialist guide Ana Maria Cogorno, Director of the Maria Reiche Association to talk about the preservation of the Nazca Lines. Maria Reiche and the Preservation of the Nazca Lines Specialist guide Ana Maria Cogorno Ana Maria is the director of the Asociación Maria Reiche Internacional para el Arte & Ciencia, dedicated to the protection of the lines and located right here in Lima. Ana Maria Cogorno explained that the lines and geoglyphs, thousands of years old, are in danger of being destroyed because of human activities in the region. Ana Maria’s personal interest in the lines is very close: she was previously the assistant to Maria Reiche, a German mathematician and scientist who devoted her life to studying the Nazca lines. Nazcla Lines World Heritage Site Status Reiche believed that the lines pointed to the setting sun during the summer and winter solstices and that they proved the advanced mathematics of the Nazca designers. Studying the lines for over four decades, Reiche received Peruvian citizenship in 1993 and was buried here in 1999 when she passed away from cancer. Ana Maria Cogorno works tirelessly to keep her legacy alive through the association. Thanks to Reiche´s lifelong work, in 1994 UNESCO declared the lines and geoglpyhs of Nazca and Pampas de Jumana a World
The Nazca Lines have drawn thousands of visitors since they were first discovered in the 1920´s. Their mystery is part of their allure; it seems no one can confirm why the lines were drawn. Some scientists believe they are related to astrology, while others thought that perhaps they were drawn for…
Coinciding with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP20) in Lima, the awareness tactics of the environmental group Greenpeace could have been seen as a stroke of genius. In the early hours before sunrise on Monday, December 8th, a group of activists entered the protected archaeological site where the Nazca Lines Peru are located and placed large yellow banners on the ground displaying the message, “Time for Change! The Future is Renewable. Greenpeace”. Nazca Lines Peru The message is visible from the air and aimed at the world leaders who are in Lima, Peru for the conference. The objective of COP20 is to draft a treaty to be signed during the next conference in Paris, in 2015, with the goal of significantly reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Greenpeace was hoping to stress the need for bold immediate action regarding the transition from fuel, coal and gas to renewable energy by focusing on one of Peru’s key attractions. Greenpeace members from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Germany, Italy and Austria participated in the early morning activism. Despite what was ultimately an altruistic gesture, the actions of Greenpeace were quickly condemned by specialist guide Ana Maria Cogorno, the president of the Asociación Maria Reiche, who has been working tirelessly to promote the Nazca Lines and ensure conservation of a site that is in grave danger of being destroyed. Ana Maria saw Greenpeace’s actions as illegal and detrimental to the geoglyphs on the basis that they should not have gone anywhere near the lines, as even the slightest contact can cause damage to the fragile site. Protecting the Nazca Lines Peru Indeed, the Association is pushing for Peru to create stricter laws in order to protect the Nazca Lines by making it explicitly illegal, and punishable by jail time, to trespass in the area as Greenpeace
Coinciding with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP20) in Lima, the awareness tactics of the environmental group Greenpeace could have been seen as a stroke of genius. In the early hours before sunrise on Monday, December 8th, a group of activists entered the protected archaeological site where the Nazca Lines Peru…
The Nazca culture, with its complex textiles, impressive geoglyphs and underground aqueduct systems, first captivated my imagination when I traveled to Peru’s south coast as a curious child. Since then, I’ve continued to be fascinated by the Nazca Lines in particular. Recently I experienced the Nazca Lines flight from Pisco airport and share my experience on visiting the Nazca Lines which can be easily visited from Lima. Nazca Lines flight About the Nazca Lines Created by the Nazca people between 400 and 650 AD, a slew of hypotheses have been presented to explain the existence of the zoomorphic geoglyphs. While some believe that they were related to astronomy and served to track the sun and other celestial bodies, others claim that they were created so that gods may view them from above, and others yet avow that they were used in religious practices to summon water. It feels as though over the years I've heard as many hypotheses about the lines as there are lines themselves. Getting to the Nazca Lines from Lima For many visitors to Peru, a trip down the south coast wouldn’t be complete without an overflight of the Nazca Lines. Designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1994, the geoglyphs are located on the Pampas de Jumana just outside of the city of Nazca and around five hours drive south of Lima. The nearest airport from Lima you can take flights over Nazca from is Pisco, a fishing town located around three hours from Lima.You can also take flights from Ica airport. Depending on the time of year, LATAM flys Cusco - Pisco (limited frequency). This means you can drive from Lima to Pisco and connect on to Cusco by commercial flight, or in reverse to easily incorporate visits to Nazca and Machu Picchu in the
The Nazca culture, with its complex textiles, impressive geoglyphs and underground aqueduct systems, first captivated my imagination when I traveled to Peru’s south coast as a curious child. Since then, I’ve continued to be fascinated by the Nazca Lines in particular. Recently I experienced the Nazca Lines flight from Pisco…
