Nasca and Palpa Lines and Geoglyphs Cultural Heritage

Located on the Peruvian desert coast about 400 km south of Lima in the Ica region, the Nasca and Palpa Lines and Geoglyphs were discovered in 1927 and represent the most important legacy of the Nasca society, which flourished about 2,300 years ago (100 BC – 600 AD) during the Early Intermediate period of Andean cultural sequence.

The archaeological site covers approximately 75,358 hectares and was home to the ancient inhabitants who drew an extraordinary variety of geometric shapes, animals, and deities on the arid ground, only visible from above. This transforms the vast coast into a symbolic, ritual, and social cultural landscape that remains intact to this day.

The Nasca Lines and Geoglyphs are a unique artistic product of Andean culture due to their scale, diversity, and dimensions, unmatched in the prehistoric world (Criterion i). Through their land use, they provide exceptional testimony of the culture, traditions, and beliefs of Pre-Columbian South American societies between the 8th century BC and 8th century AD (Criterion iii).

The line and geoglyph system, preserved intact for over two millennia, demonstrates an unusual way of utilizing land and natural surroundings, representing a highly symbolic cultural landscape with advanced construction technology that enabled the design of large-scale figures with prominent geometric precision (Criterion iv).

Two categories of glyphs exist: the first group features schematic depictions of natural forms including animals, birds, insects, flowers, plants, trees, and daily life objects; the second group consists of straight lines crossing the plain in all directions, some several kilometers long, forming geometric figures like triangles, spirals, and wavy lines. Another group called 'tracks' appears designed to accommodate large numbers of people.

Integrity. The site is preserved within a 75,358-hectare protection area, including its surrounding landscape, which has remained largely unchanged over centuries due to extremely low precipitation rates and minimal human impact. However, the Pan-American Highway crossing the site has caused some damage.

Authenticity. The creation, design, morphology, size, and variety of the geoglyphs remain unchanged, preserving their original symbolic, sacred, and ritual character.

Protection and management. Protection is ensured by Peru’s National Constitution and the General Cultural Heritage Law, with the Ministry of Culture responsible for oversight. A management plan is active to safeguard the site.