In Peru’s ancient Nazca plain and areas around it, researchers have found more than a hundred new pieces of pre-Columbian artwork after nearly two years of field surveys and aerial photos of the land.
In total, 168 geoglyphs were discovered at the UNESCO World Heritage site on Peru’s southern Pacific coast, according to a release. The art depicts what appears to be different animals and humans.
“The discovery of 41 geoglyphs in this area was previously announced by Yamagata University in 2014 and 2015, which led to the creation of an archaeological park in 2017 in collaboration with the Peruvian Ministry of Culture to protect them,” a statement from Yamagata University says. “With this discovery, a total of 77 geoglyphs are now known to be concentrated in this archaeological park.”
In the research group that made the discovery were Peruvian and Japanese researchers from Yamagata University. They shared their findings in a report earlier this month.
In collaboration with IBM’s T.J. Watson Research Center, the Yamagata researchers will conduct an AI-based study on the patterns of the latest geoglyphs, Art News reported.
The designs of humans, snakes, whales, birds, and more, have been dated back more than 2,000 years, putting their creation at around 300 BCE. This means they most likely weren’t drawn with Crayons.
The figures themselves are massive in size, with some measuring as small as 6 feet to just under 20 feet in length, according to Nazca Lines head archaeologist Jorge Olano.
The Nazca Lines themselves are only visible from the air and are still considered a massive mystery. However, the new geoglyphs discovered this month were visible from the ground, Yamagata University professor and head of the study Masato Sakai told Reuters.
Since 2004 there have been 190 designs discovered by researchers. But the artwork is difficult to find because of the vastness of the terrain they cover.
However, the researchers and the Peruvian government are working to preserve the lines and ensure they will live on for generations.
“Some geoglyphs are in danger of being destroyed due to the recent expansion of mining-related workshops in the archaeological park,” Sakai said.
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