Where would you find the Nazca Lines?

You would find the Nazca Lines in Peru, in the arid Nazca Desert of southern Peru. These enormous geoglyphs include straight lines, geometric shapes, and figures of animals, plants, and people etched into the desert surface.

The designs were created mainly between about 500 BC and AD 500 by people associated with the Paracas and Nazca cultures. Builders removed the dark, iron-oxide-coated stones on the surface, exposing the much lighter soil beneath. The contrast made the patterns visible, while the region's exceptionally dry, calm climate helped preserve them for centuries.

Although many figures are easiest to recognize from the air, the lines can also be seen from nearby hills. Their purpose remains debated: researchers have proposed religious, ceremonial, astronomical, and water-related explanations. The famous hummingbird, monkey, spider, condor, and tree are among the best-known designs.

The Nazca Lines are often confused with a single drawing, but they are a vast collection of geoglyphs spread across the Nazca and Palpa region. UNESCO added the Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa to its World Heritage List in 1994.