Trophy Heads

The Nazca prided themselves on their massive collection of trophy heads. Trophy heads are heads either painted or real heads of their enemies. They are a symbol of sacrifice and appear often on Nazca pottery. When the Nazca got a prisoner they would remove the persons head and take out their brain. Then they would keep the lips shut by two cacti needles so that the person would never speak again.

Music

The Nazca had only one known musical instrument called the pan flute. The pan flute is an instrument used all over the world and has a rich history. It usually consists of ten or more wooden pipes of different sizes. To play it you simply blow into the various pipes much life a flute. Each pipe makes a different sound. There are many different types of pipes but the one closest to what the Nazca might have used is called a Zampona. The Zampona is an instrument made by the Inca (after the Nazca). It is not known what the Nazca version of the pan flute looked like it is probably a lot like the Zampona.

Religion

The Nazca religion is closely linked to there gods because there gods controlled water and rainfall, which is a very important thing due to the hot and dry climate. They had four main gods they were: killer whale (god of the sea), condor (god of the sky), feline (god of the earth) and finally another god who doesn't have a name but is thought to be the biggest of the gods. This god is on a lot of the Nazca pottery, and is shown as a human wearing a cape, with a staff in one hand, and a trophy head in the other. There religion was very spiritual and this is why people think Cahuachi was built, to be a spiritual centre.

Government

There is not a lot known about the government of the Nazca. However what is known is that the Nazca had a large network of little villages. Each village had it's own chief and the chief ruled the village. towards the end of the Nazca evidence shows that there was a great deal of violence between these villages and chiefs. It is thought that the violence might have contributed to the fall of the Nazca.

Underground Aqueducts

The Nazca not only made the Nazca lines but also built another technological marvel, there underground aqueducts. The Nazca made these aqueducts to move water from the few water sources they had to places farther inland. They had walls made of stone. The Nazca called there channels Pukios. After the water was moved to the designated area it was stored in above ground reservoirs. The longest Pukios stretched 500 yards. To this day it is unclear how they were made.

Man Flying Over The Nazca Lines

This is a video of a man flying over the Nazca lines. I put this in just so you could get a feel of what the Nazca lines are really like. Enjoy!

UFO Theory

This movie is about the UFO theory. Watch as a man talks about a particular drawing.

The Nazca Lines

The Nazca lines strech "across the Nazca plains like a giant map or blueprint left by ancient astronauts" (www.crystalinks.com/nazca.html). The Nazca lines lie on the Nazca Desert. Carved into the Desert are around 300 Drawings and figures made by the Nazca. These drawings and figures are refered to as the Nazca lines of Peru. It is thought that these lines are for ceremonial puposes and that they probably have something to do with astronomy. These amazing lines are often perfectly straight which is an unbelevable feat considering they were made between 200BC-600AD.

Many believe the lines have something to do with astronomy. Some believe they are or were an astronomical calender showing the derection of important stars and planetary events. Some formations are believed to show various star constellations shuch as Orion or Ursa Major. Some other less poular theories exist like the lines were some sort of ancient astronut landing pad or the alien theory. The alien theory is that aliens landed and the Nazca built the lines to try to communicate with the aliens. Another theory is that the Nazca created the lines so they could be seen by the "eye of the gods" the eye of the gods was actually just a total solar eclipse. Many theories surround the mysterious Nazca lines but none are defenetly correct and nowone knows how they were made.

Cahuachi

Cahuachi was the largest city created by the Nazca people. It lies 31 miles in land in the Nazca region. Cahuachi is 2 miles long and 3/4 mile wide. the city consists of many buildings made out of adobe brick. The city was also home to a great deal of pyramids some reaching 70 ft tall. The city also had village squares, and cemeteries. most of the Nazca pottery has been found in Cahuachi. The main settlement was 100-600 AD however the city was mostly used as a home for the elite members of society. Above all it was a pilgrimage site and the heart of spirituality and served as a ceremonial ground.

Above: The city of Cahuachi.

Nazca Pottery

Historians have divided Nazca pottery into eight periods consisting of Nazca 1, Nazca 2, Nazca 3, Nazca 4, Nazca 5, Nazca 6, Nazca 7 and Nazca 8. Nazca 1 started in 200BC. In this time period, Pottery consisted of a mythical collection of art from the Paraca culture (700BC). However the Nazca introduced realistic items such as animals, fruits and people. In Nazca 2, 3 and 4 or the monumental periods, the idea of realism was much more important. The pottery from these periods had consistent images of realism against a white or red background. Nazca 5 consists of body less images of both demons and humans with a filled in background. In Nazca 6 and Nazca 7 pottery returns to earlier styles however they now hold militaristic aspects and portraits of important members of the society. Nazca 8 introduced a new concept of portraying fully disembodied figures and many different icons which we do not know a lot about. The styles generally used by the Nazca people in there pottery showed animals and plants that they probably used and or saw daily. These include: cacti, seeds, flowers, fish, sharks, snakes, hummingbirds, whales and sea birds. Nazca pottery hide many clues to there mystifying culture and past.

The Nazca

The Nazca natives of Peru were a very successful tribe who prospered in the Nazca region (south west Peru) between 300BC-800AD. They created a whole network of underground aqueducts. However the Nazca are most widely known for creating the Nazca Lines. The Nazca also built a city largely for ceremonial purposes called Cahuachi. Cahuachi was created on the Pampa (South American lowlands) in the same area as the Nazca lines.

The Nazca are a fantastic culture which you will learn about through my blog.