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Background Information
Geography
The Archaeological Site
Muggle Side of the Story
Astronomical or Religious Representation
Alien Airport?
Masterpiece Only Visible from the Sky
Wizarding Explanation
Background Information
Geography
The deserted plateau of Nazca is located in the south of Peru, 400km from Lima and 50km off the Pacific coast. The site is covered with a large number of drawings and geometrical figures, which can only be understood if a person flies over the site. It was only in 1927, more than a thousand years after the disappearance of the Nazca Indians, that a Peruvian pilot discovered the incredible drawings by chance. After the designs were found, American archaeologist Paul Kosok arrived at the location in 1939.
The Archaeological Site
Covering more than 500km squared, the Nazca designs, also known as Geoglyphs, were plotted by clearing the fine layer of dark stones that lay on top
of the drawings and a clear view was exposed. Right away three types of markings are noticed:
Straight lines that zigzag or spiral, and reach a length of 5km
Geometrical figures in the shape of very large bands looking like "landing tracks"
Representations of animals, often extending 150m long
On the sides of several hills bordering the desert, there are human representations in different and primitive positions. These representations are attributed to the Paracas, the predecessors of the Nazcas in the area. Most of the drawings would've been made between 200BC and 600 AD.
The figures, which were traced geometrically through the reliefs and covered by dust, reappeared thanks to the work of German mathematician Maria Reiche. Since 1945, she has devoted all of her life to the geoglyphs; sharing her time between research and the maintenance of the lines on the ground.
Muggle Side of the Story
Astronomical or Religious Representation
Paul Kosok and Maria Reiche thought that the straight lines constituted a kind of astronomical calendar making it possible to calculate the dates and seasons. However in 1968, the American astronomer Gerald Hawkins completed a study, with the help of computers, which demonstrated that this idea could not be confirmed. Later, ethnologist Simone Waisbard and his son Jack, a data processing specialist, were persuaded after having studied the overall plan of the geometrical figures and human representations, that it was indeed a weather calendar, or rather the superposition of several calendars.
Another specialist to the site, English explorer Tony Morisson, believed that the layouts have a religious significance. His idea is based on the habits and the religion of the Nazcas. For him, the lines are sacred paths connecting the altars; the drawings are tributes to the gods; the large tracks are from religious gathering places.
Airport for Aliens?
Erich von Daniken spoke about a rather daring belief concerning the tracks. He thought they were a rudimentary airport for aliens to come and visit our planet, back when the Nazcas were around. He also assumed that maybe these splendid drawings of animals were built to guide these "gods" to a safe landing upon their return.
Masterpiece Only Visible from the Sky
How could the Nazca have built such perfect drawings without even being able to see them? According to Reiche, some tiny models were made and then were expanded. Some traces of the models have been found near the animal designs. American Jim Woodman tried to prove with an English balloon pilot, Julian Nott, that the Nazca could manufacture hot-air balloons to supervise the layout of the figures. His assumptions were based from several drawings found on pottery, and after having noticed the presence of traces of fire in the middle of the tracks.
In 1975, Woodman built a balloon, Condor I, manufactured with fabric and cords of the same kind as those found with Nazca mummies. The balloon rose 90m in the air before it crashed to the ground. Luckily, both of the pilots made it out alive.
Wizarding Explanation
In 1901 during an excavation, the archaeologist Max Uhle discovered vestiges of the Nazca civilization. Uhle understood rather fast that this civilization was completely distinct from other tribes of the pre-Columbian Peru. The Nazca were part of a tribe where magic was used everyday.
Pre-Columbian tribes had at least one priest. The priest of the Nazca was the only one to be born a wizard. His position in the tribe allowed him to use magic whenever he wanted to. The Nazca were very religious people and for many years they thought that they could build paths to the temples, altars and their homes. A century after the first paths were formed, Pugio - a rather intelligent man and priest of the tribe, proposed that these paths should represent the tribe's belief in nature and religion. The main artists of the tribes began to build tiny models of birds, fishes or human beings from the original paths.
Pugio came to be known as one of the most influential priests that the Nazca ever had. He had the ability to fly over the whole area using only a piece of wood. We now recognize him as one of the first wizards to use a broomstick! It came to wizard historians that Pugio isn't represented on any pottery or other drawings that the Nazca designed. Perhaps the Nazca were very scared of the magic despite enjoying the uses and pleasures of it. The ancient culture of the Nazca was buried under the desert sands for many years, and had it not been for Muggles, they may still have been forgotten.
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