Which desert in Chile contains the hand-shaped geoglyph called the Giant of Tarapaca?

The Giant of Tarapaca is a monumental geoglyph in Chile’s Atacama Desert.

Also called the Atacama Giant, the figure is carved and built into the slope of Cerro Unita near Huara in the Tarapacá Region. It is an anthropomorphic figure rather than a natural formation, and its stark outline is easiest to appreciate from elevated ground or aerial views.

The geoglyph was created between about 1000 and 1400 CE, during a period when several cultures used the Atacama’s slopes and valleys as travel corridors. Researchers have suggested that it may represent a shaman, spiritual being, or deity. The markings on its head may also have helped track celestial or seasonal patterns.

A common mix-up is confusing the Atacama Giant with the Nazca Lines, which are in Peru. The Atacama region contains thousands of other geoglyphs, including animals, geometric designs, and smaller human figures.