![]() The new research is "very sound," says archaeoastronomer Anthony Aveni of Colgate University in Hamilton, New York, who was not involved in the study. And if you're a human being standing there, the sun melts right on your head. ![]() "When you stand behind the mounds and you're facing the sunset-and we were there for the solstice-the sun sets right on the mound. There's no evidence that people lived around the mounds, so Stanish suspects the Paracas used them as gathering places for yearly festivities tied specifically to the solstice. It appears that the three large mounds had a ceremonial purpose, because each was connected to separate pairs of geoglyphs that point directly to the spot where the sun sets on the winter solstice in June. And then they're competing with each other to bring in the most supporters," Stanish says.īut that wasn't all the researchers found. "They're converting this landscape into a big theater, and the ultimate goal is to bring people together to market, exchange goods, manufacture goods, exchange marriage partners, gossip, do all the things people like doing. This discovery not only provides a glimpse of what life was like before the Nazca, he adds, but it also shows the roots of how society developed when the dominant culture had no real government. Each group probably built its own set of geoglyphs in order to draw followers throughout the desert to its own trade fairs and other social events, he says. Certain groups of geoglyphs clearly led directly to particular mounds or settlements, suggesting that they served as paths for Paracas people seeking to trade goods or gather for other activities, the researchers report online today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.īecause each group of geoglyphs pointed the way to a different settlement, Stanish believes the settlements were likely controlled by distinct political or ethnic groups. They used GPS technology to plot the desert's settlements, mounds, and 71 geoglyphs for the first time. ![]() So the researchers played a 30-square-kilometer game of connect the dots. There are also three large mounds in the desert that contain the remains of maize and sugarcane that definitely came from 400 to 100 B.C.E., when the Paracas people dominated the region. However, the Chincha Valley also contains ruins of five settlements with small pyramids built by the Paracas that contain artifacts from daily life, such as pots and baskets. Scientists have a horribly difficult time pinning down when any geoglyphs were made because they include no remains from dead plants for carbon dating. To understand the purpose of the geoglyphs, Stanish and his team first had to confirm that the lines were made by the Paracas people. What previously looked like nothing more than scattered rocks would suddenly take on a definite shape and appear to form new lines stretching off into the horizon. Then, as these travelers arrived at certain spots on the desert floor, the second type of geoglyph would become obvious. "They would be unmistakable" to people traveling down to the desert from the surrounding hills, Stanish explains. By sweeping the darker desert soil off the bright limestone underneath, ancient peoples created white lines that are easily visible at great distances. The Paracas also made geoglyphs, and the Chincha Valley contains two kinds, explains Charles Stanish, an archaeologist at the University of California, Los Angeles. Archaeologists call such lines "geoglyphs," whether they are meant to be artistic or serve a practical purpose. They immediately preceded another culture called the Nazca, which is famous for making massive line drawings out of earth and stone, including enormous works of art depicting everything from birds to monkeys. The Paracas people lived in what is now southern Peru from 800 to 100 B.C.E. Researchers have found that these lines were probably ancient signposts for the Paracas culture more than 2000 years ago, guiding people across the desert to gathering places for the winter solstice. But stand in the desert itself and these rocks form lines that stretch toward the horizon. Seen from above, the jagged rocks strewn about the Chincha Valley desert in Peru seem inconspicuous.
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