Sector:USA/Nazca_Lines_Geoglyphs

## Metadata

**Incident ID:** INC-0427

**Date:** Reported 1939–Present (site formation dated c. 500 BCE–500 CE)

**Location:** Pampas de Nazca and Palpa Plateau, Ica Region, Peru

**Reporting Agency:** Regional Archaeological Survey Office (R.A.S.O.) and supplemental aeronautical observers

**Status:** UNRESOLVED

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## Executive Summary

This record was compiled to document observed characteristics, field survey data, witness accounts, and lines of inquiry regarding the geoglyph complex conventionally referenced as the Nazca Lines. The area was delineated as approximately 450 square kilometers. The itemized observations were recorded in situ and from aerial platforms between 1939 and the present. The following report was prepared in passive voice and in bureaucratic register. Conclusions are limited to statements directly supported by observation, measurement, or archival material. Two facts are recorded as lacking a logical explanation despite corroborated observation; these are identified in a dedicated section.

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## Background and Discovery

The formations were first mapped in modern literature following aerial reconnaissance in 1939. Prior photographic records were archived and were later re-examined. The formations were described in the primary literature as lines and geometric figures as well as representational figures of fauna and flora. The surface was observed to be composed of a dark reddish-brown oxidized gravel crust that overlies a paler, compacted subsoil. The reddish stones were reported to have been removed to expose the lighter ground beneath, which resulted in contrast sufficient for aerial visibility.



Dating was assigned via stratigraphic sampling and associated ceramic typologies in controlled excavations. Dates were reported in the literature as centering on a range from approximately 500 BCE to 500 CE. These dates were replicated in multiple stratigraphic profiles across independent projects and were entered into the R.A.S.O. registry.

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## Site Geography and Layout

The surface was observed to be flat to gently sloping across the majority of the mapped area. Elevation change across the primary mapped sector was measured at less than 200 meters from the lowest to the highest documented points. Soil composition was reported as a mix of fine silts and compacted aeolian deposits capped by a thin layer of darker gravel.

Geoglyph classes were recorded as:

- Linear segments (single-stroke lines), measured in segments ranging from tens of meters to several kilometers in length.
- Geometric figures (triangles, trapezoids, spirals), measured and described with angular dimensions and side lengths recorded in the site registry.
- Zoomorphs and phytomorphs (representational animal and plant figures), with overall lengths and bounding boxes recorded.

Straightness of linear segments was verified by multiple independent surveys employing total stations and GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receivers. In several ins