Machu Picchu's Mysteries Continue to Lure Explorers

Tres Thomas

Although the archaeological discovery of Machu Picchu came nearly a hundred years ago, historians are still unsure of the function of this ancient Inca citadel.The Inca had no system of writing and left no written records, and archaeologists have been left to piece together bits of evidence as to why Machu Picchu was built, what purpose it served, and why it was so quickly vacated.

On July 24, 1911, a cold rainy day Hiram Bingham went on an adventure to observe and investigate rumors of the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. He went through thick jungle, crawled over a log bridge held together by vines, and underbrush with venomous snakes. After going through that, Bingham found a grass hut. Inside were two indian boys, one lead Bingham and his two escorts to what is now claimed as Machu Picchu. One of the top finds in archeological history still till this day. Bingham saw a towering citadel of stone that was cut oh so beautiful. The way the stone was placed in this citadel not even a slim, flat piece of metal could not even fit in between them. Machu Picchu is full of buildings and plazas connected by long narrow stone pathways. There is one part that is sectioned off and is made up of walls, ditches, and what looks like a moat. It was not for military purposes, but more for private ceremonial reasons. In 1913, the article that made the discovery of Machu Picchu known to the world was put out by the National Geographic magazine. Hiram Bingham thought he found the “Lost City of the Inca”, that’s where the last Inca rulers were, until the Spanish came and conquered. Bingham argued and justified his conclusions for almost 50 years after his discovery and people accepted his justification. In 1964 Gene Savoy identified the ruins and proved that Espirhu Pampawas the lost city that Bingham originally thought. Research today by John Rose, Richard Burger, and Lucy Salazar-Burger says that rather than being a defensive structure, Machu Picchu was a retreat made by and for Pachacuti, the Inca ruler. Burger thinks it was built for elites wanting to escape the noise and congestion of the city. Brian Bauer, an expert in Andean civilization at the University of Illinois says that Machu Picchu was pretty small by Inca standards and maintained only about 500 to 750 people. Bauer says archeological evidence makes it clear that the Inca were not the only people to live in Machu Picchu. There were more people who actually lived in Machu Picchu. Experts say that faming could not happen in the grand terraces, but in surrounding hills because the farming could not have happened with the amount of farming that happens in a day. Most of the farming happened in the hills that surrounded Machu Picchu.

Works cited:
EvansDavid. "Machu Picchu’s Mysteries." Photograph. National Geographic, ND. Web. 21Oct. 2015.

"Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu." - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. ND. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

"Machu Picchu's Mysteries -- National Geographic." National Geographic. ND. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

"Machu Picchu -- World Heritage Site -- National Geographic." National Geographic. ND. Web. 22 Oct. 2015.

Links for further research: https://youtu.be/9Qr3G9BgDaA
The link above is a 45 minute long documentary on the true purpose of Machu Picchu.
http://www.livescience.com/22869-machu-picchu.html
The link above gives more information on the history of Machu Picchu
http://www.amazon.com/Machu-Picchu-History-Mystery-Incan/dp/1492312460/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1445351100&sr=1-6&keywords=machu+picchu
The link above takes you to amazon.com to a book that talks directly about the history and mystery of Machu Picchu

New Light on the Nazca Lines

Author: KaNeka Butler

Photo from Two Crows Paranormal

It has been researched that the first drawings of Nazca Lines were drawn and created between 2,100 and 1,300 years ago in the Peruvian Desert (Science Daily). Dr. Clive Ruggles has been investigating these lines for five years. These lines were drawn by the Nasca people between the years of 100 BC and AD 700 (http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/12/121210101450.htm .

You asked what are Nazca Lines? Nazca Lines are lines that have been drawn in the Peruvian Desert that has a spiritual meaning behind each drawing and creation. Wherever these lines are, no one farms in that area. The nature of the soil itself is made up of clay and gypsum. Humid makes the stones sink deeper. During the day, the sun hardens the surface, leaving stones more securely in the soil. Even hard and strong wind can’t move these stones. Thats why lines are still visible after 2000 years (http://www.awesomstories.com/flicks/indiana-jones/nazca-lines-and-skulls)

Facts About Nazca Lines:

When flying over the Enigma, you see the different shapes that have been created. Hundreds of individuals figure ranges in complexity from simple lines to stylized creatures. Some of these creatures vary from hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, sharks and fish. (http://www.beforeitsnews.com/beyond-science/2013/08/nazca-lines-flying-over-the-enigma-2443130.html

            this video is taking the audience on a journey through the Peruvian Desert. While on this journey, viewers will see the amazing visuals of Nazca Lines and the feeling it brings to know such wonderful humans had this amazing talent. It is breathtaking.

Works Cited

Ruggles, Clives. "Ancient Drawings in Peruvian Desert: New Light in the Nazca Lines." Science Daily. N.p., n.d. Web. 2012 Dec. 19 Oct 2013.

"Indiana Jones 4- crystal skull." Awesome Stories. N.p.. Web. 19 Oct 2013

 Youtube. N.p.. Web. 19 Oct 2013.

Links for further information:

http://www.ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/03/nasca/hall-text

            This website describes how scientists and archeologists view nazca lines.

http://www.ummuseum.org.nazca.htm

            This website is a web page based on a museum that displays visuals of the lines from numerous trips.

http://skepdic.com/nazca.html

            This web page is basically a dictionary of the words and phrases used by the Nazca people to describe their creations.

The Truth behind the Nazca Lines?

Author: Erin McLaughlin

Monkey image of the Nazca lines

The Nazca lines are very large geoglyphs, pictures drawn in the earth by moving rocks and other objects, located in the Nazca desert in southern Peru. The drawings in the sands depict a killer whale, a spider, an "astronaut", a monkey, and a heron as well as lines and geometric figures ("The Nazca Lines--Alien Landing Strips?"). Since their initial discovery in the 1920's by Alfred Kroeber and Toribio Mejia much controversy has surrounded the geoglyphs. The fact the full figures of the Nazca Lines are only visible from very high in the sky (in aircraft) has sparked many theories as to the purpose and meaning of the lines themselves (Aron 52). Who were the pictures intended for and what inspired the ancient Nazca to create the images?

            In his book Unsolved Mysteries of History Paul Aron describes the discovery of the Nazca Lines and some studies that have been conducted on the geoglyphs. Aron states when Kroeber and Mejia first stumbled upon the Nazca Lines in 1926 they were at ground level and therefore thought the lines were nothing more than an ancient irrigation system; both archeologists were content with ending their investigation there. The lines finally gained more recognition in the 1930's when commercial flights began to fly over Peru. It was then that people finally saw that the lines in the desert actually formed pictures in the sand. Consequently, archeologists became very interested in the lines. Upon investigation of the lines themselves and the area around them, scientists found remains of pottery that were over two thousand years old; they estimated the lines had to have been equally aged.  The arid and virtually windless environment in which the lines lie allowed them to be preserved for many generations. The first in depth study of the lines was performed in 1941 by Paul Kosok, an American historian. Kosok noticed that as the sun was setting on the Nazca lines, the position of the sun and the lines were actually in alignment. Kosok hypothesized that the lines must be a sort of large-scale astronomical calendar. Upon further investigation, however, he and his colleges found that more lines did not match up with astronomical bodies than those that did. Therefore, the theory could not be proved correct (52-55).

            There are many more theories surrounding the Nazca lines, however. The subterranean water  theory, proposed by  researcher David Johnson, suggests that the Nazca lines actually marked underground water systems ("The Nazca Lines--Alien Landing Strips?"). A popular theory among archeologists proposes that the lines and images were a form of religious art made for sky-dwelling deities (Oliveto). The most well-known and controversial theory first proposed by Erich Von Daniken in his book Chariot of the Gods? says that the lines and the images were the Nazca's way of communicating with extraterrestrials (Aron 53).

            Däniken and other ancient alien theorists believe that beings from other planets visited earth in the past and lent some of their culture and technology to ancient cultures, thus helping the world become what it is today. When it comes to the Nazca lines, these theorists suggest that the full pictures were a way of directing the aliens to their civilization while the individual lines served as runways for the aliens to land their spacecrafts ("Evidence of Ancient Aliens?").

Do they look like runways to you?

The image of a strange-looking human or "astronaut" depicted in the Nazca lines perpetuates the theory even further as some supporters of the ancient alien theory say the Nazca modeled it after their space-traveling acquaintances. In addition to those that believe the lines were created for aliens, some are convinced that aliens made the Nazca lines all on their own with no interaction with humans (Oliveto).

"Astronaut" image carved into a plateau

            No theory pertaining to the Nazca lines has yet to be entirely proved or entirely disproved. Were they irrigation systems, spiritual art, an astronomical map, a map to much-needed water sources, communication to or from aliens, or simply pretty pictures in the sand? Without direct scientific proof these theories will continue to be debated, and perhaps more theories will continue to form for many decades to come. What do you think the Nazca lines truly mean?

Works Cited:

Alien or Astronaut. Photograph. OurWildRide.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.

Aron, Paul. Unsolved Mysteries of History. New York. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2000. Print.

"Evidence of Ancient Aliens?" History.com. A&E Television Networks, LLC. 2012. Web. 23       Oct. 2012.

Nazca Lines Monkey. Photograph. ParadiseInTheWorld.com. Paradise in the World. 2012. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.

"The Nasca Lines -Aliens Landing Strips?" TruthBehindtheScenes.org. Truth Behind the Scenes, 2012. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.

Oliveto, Joseph. "The Mystery of the Nazca Lines." WeirdWorm.com. Weirdworm. 2 Oct. 2010.   Web. 24 Oct. 2012

Pallete, G. Nazca Lines Trapezium figures. Photograph. Go2Peru.com. COMELTUR. 2000.         Web. 26 Oct. 2012. 

Links for Further Research:

Ancient Aliens Blog

http://ancient-aliens-were-here.blogspot.com/2011/02/nazca-lines-ancient-alien-theory.html

A blog dedicated to ancient alien theories. This entry talks about the Nazca lines.

Between The Nazca Lines: Evidence Vs. “I Wanna Believe”

http://www.science20.com/archyfantasies/between_nazca_lines_evidence_vs_%E2%80%9Ci_wanna_believe%E2%80%9D-75630

A person's article on a website discussing her opinion on the ancient alien theory. She disagrees.

National Geographic

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/03/nasca/hall-text

Firsthand account by a researcher visiting the Nazca lines. The article contains information about ancient Nazca culture.

The Nazca Lines and the "Eye in the Sky"

http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/nazca/esp_lineas_nazca_16.htm

Author of the web page discusses the alien theory and religious theory behind the Nazca lines. This person believes that the Nazca created the lines for non-alien deities.