New Nazca geoglyphs in Peru could be older than famous Unesco site

[Judi Lynn]

New Nazca geoglyphs in Peru could be older than famous Unesco site

Japanese team believes new images are older than the famous monkey, spider and hummingbird at the Unesco World Heritage site


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Some of the images are believed to depict llamas Photo: Yamagata University
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By Julian Ryall, Tokyo
2:41PM BST 08 Jul 2015

Newly discovered geoglyphs on the Nazca Plateau in Peru could be earlier versions of the huge animal images that are listed as part of the Unesco World Heritage site.

Japanese researchers have identified 24 geoglyphs which are believed to date from between 200BC and 400BC, making them significantly older than the majority of the motifs previously found on the plateau.

Experts believe the larger images were created by the Nazca people between 400AD and 650AD.

The new geoglyphs are smaller and less distinct than the spider, hummingbird, condor and monkey for which the region is famous, but the team from Japan's Yamagata University believes that at least some of the images depict llamas.

More:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/peru/11726451/New-Nazca-geoglyphs-in-Peru-could-be-older-than-famous-Unesco-site.html

Science:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/122840026

[Judi Lynn]

1. Yamagata University team discovers 24 ancient geoglyphs in Peru

Yamagata University team discovers 24 ancient geoglyphs in Peru

July 08, 2015
By NOBUYOSHI YONEZAWA/ Staff Writer

YAMAGATA--Anthropologists have discovered 24 examples of the mysterious Nazca Lines in the arid region near Nazca of southern Peru, a Yamagata University institute researching the geoglyphs announced July 7.

The discovery was made by a team of about 10 researchers, including Masato Sakai, a professor of cultural anthropology at the university who is also the deputy director of the university's Nazca research institute. The team began investigating the northern slopes of the urban areas of Nazca, Peru, from autumn 2013 and discovered 17 geoglyphs depicting llamas before the end of fiscal 2013.

The newest announcement is based on the team's findings in fiscal 2014. They discovered five new examples near the area where they found geoglyphs the previous fiscal year and 19 more on the slopes of a nearby mountain.

Discovered in the 1920s, the geoglyphs and line drawings of Nazca and Pampas de Jumana are designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. They are etched into the dusty soil and cover some 450 square kilometers.

More:
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201507080063