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Tonight...
They've been called

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the world's greatest
archeological enigma.

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AARON HINKLEY: Everyone focuses
on the Nazca Lines

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because of just
how mysterious they are.

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LAURENCE: 2,000 year-old
drawings so massive,

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they can only
be seen from the air.

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But what are they
and why were they created?

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FORREST BURGESS: We know
they didn't just appear

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out of thin air,
but there is virtually

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no historical record
of previous societies in Peru.

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Now, we examine the top theories
behind their mysterious origins.

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Maybe the Lines
were ritual battlefields,

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but I don't think
that's all they ever were.

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They found a collection
of severed heads,

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and this really suggests
that the Nazca Lines

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could be connected
to ritual human sacrifice.

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This is why
we think the Nazca Lines

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may have been repurposed.

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LAURENCE: Can new research
finally unravel their secrets?

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Researchers make
a shocking discovery

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and, if this theory
is correct,

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they might have solved one

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of archeology's
greatest riddles.

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What is the true
purpose of the Nazca Lines?

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♪ ♪

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♪ ♪

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LAURENCE: September, 1926.
Nazca, Peru.

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Archeologist
Toribio Mejia Xesspe

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leads an expedition
in the Peruvian desert.

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Xesspe and his team have
been drawn here by a discovery

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of a giant underground acropolis
full of hundreds of mummies.

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When most people
think of mummies,

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they tend to think
of Egyptian mummies,

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but, in fact,
the oldest mummies in the world

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are from Northern Chile
and Southern Peru.

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LAURENCE: Dating back
over 7,000 years,

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they're known
as the Chinchorro mummies.

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Xesspe examines some
that are wrapped in thick layers

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of expertly-woven
cotton textiles,

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covered in vibrant images
of mystical figures and animals.

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LAURENCE: One day,
while taking a break

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from his work,
Xesspe hikes up a nearby hill.

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He gets to the summit,
looks out over the desert plain,

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and he's met
with a stunning sight

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he can barely believe.

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Xesspe sees
a series of thick lines

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carved into the rocky desert.

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Some stretch
as far as his eyes can see.

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These lines are incredibly long,
perhaps miles,

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and they're straight as a ruler.

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At first, he thinks
they're trails or roads,

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but he notices
that several of them plow right

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over the mountains
and other rugged terrain.

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Not exactly what you would do
if you were building a road.

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Eventually, he realizes
a lot of these are forming

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geometric shapes, you know, kind
of standard rectangles, spirals,

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squares, triangles,

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some of them as big
as a football field,

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to put it in perspective.

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LAURENCE: Intrigued,
Xesspe puts his mummy research

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on hold to investigate.

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One of the things Xesspe
realizes would be useful is

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to get a better look
at these from higher up.

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So he calls in
the Peruvian Air Force

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to get that overall aerial view.

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They can fly over it,
see what's really going on.

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When they reach altitude,

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the pilots
can't believe their eyes.

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The lines and shapes
cover an area

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that stretches
for hundreds of square miles,

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far beyond what Xesspe
originally saw.

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There are spirals, zigzags...

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There are drawings of birds,
spiders, monkeys,

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immense in scale.

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These images are
impossible to see

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in their entirety
from the ground,

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so the pilots realize they're
probably the first people

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to ever truly witness the scale
of this unusual formation.

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LAURENCE: The strange markings
become known as the Nazca Lines.

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When you look at how many Lines
are actually there,

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it's an incredible number.

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Over 800 Lines total,
hundreds of geometric shapes

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and at least 100 animals
are present in this area.

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Some of the Lines
are thousands of meters,

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all the way up to 25 miles,
and this is quite incredible.

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The precision of these Lines
is super impressive,

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even by modern survey standards,

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because many of them
are just dead straight.

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FORREST BURGESS:
And for 100 years now,

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ever since Xesspe
first spotted them,

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they've been a mystery.

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Who made them?
When were they made?

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Why?
What's the purpose of them?

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LAURENCE:
Initially, it's believed

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the Inca are responsible.

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Beginning in the 12th century,
the Incan Empire

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eventually rules
a large area of South America

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until Spain conquers them
in the 1530s.

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But scientists eventually date
the Lines to between 300 BC

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and 800 AD,
which means all of them

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predate the Incas.

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LAURENCE:
In fact, some of the Lines

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are almost 2,500 years old.

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We know they didn't just
appear out of thin air,

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but there is virtually
no historical record

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of previous societies in Peru
because the Incas,

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and later the Spanish,
made it a policy to suppress

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and destroy every trace
of the cultures they conquered.

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And so who built them remains
one of the biggest mysteries.

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LAURENCE: But how they were made
is much easier to answer.

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The ground is covered
with a desert varnish.

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It's these small pebbles,
rocks that have

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this black patina on them.

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When you scrape away
this darker layer,

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you reveal
a lighter layer underneath.

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It's a stark contrast,
like a negative image.

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So that's the method they used.

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LAURENCE: The region is also
one of the driest on Earth.

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It receives only a millimeter
of rain a year,

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and because there's no rain
in this area,

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these Lines were able to survive
for thousands of years.

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LAURENCE: After 13 years
researching the Lines,

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Xesspe presents his findings
at a conference in 1939.

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This conference is
the first time that people

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from outside of Peru
have heard of these Lines.

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Xesspe's work has been mostly
cataloging and measuring them.

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He doesn't suggest
an overarching purpose

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for the Lines, but it gets
a lot of people excited.

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LAURENCE: Among those intrigued,
a scholar named Paul Kosok.

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Kosok is a history professor
from Long Island University

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in Brooklyn, and he's in Peru
studying pre-Columbian society

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and culture,
particularly focused

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on their irrigation systems.

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LAURENCE:
Inspired by Xesspe's work,

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Kosok travels to Nazca
to try and solve the puzzle.

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FORREST: In June of 1941,
he's charting several

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of the shapes
in the vast desert plain.

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As he contemplates
their purpose, he glances up

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at the setting sun and is struck
with a sudden epiphany.

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Kozok realizes
that the Line he's charting

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points directly at the sunset
over the horizon.

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LAURENCE: Kosok has a revelation
about what these lines could be.

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It's late June in Peru,
just about the time

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of the winter solstice
in the Southern Hemisphere.

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It strikes him
that these lines could be

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an astronomical calendar.

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♪ ♪

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Kosok returns to Lima
with this incredible story

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of discovering what might be
the largest astronomy textbook

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in the world, etched
into the sands of the desert.

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LAURENCE: There, Kosok consults
with a German mathematician

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named Maria Reiche,
to figure out

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more specifically
what the calendar is tracking.

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So Reiche works
at the National Museum of Lima

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and is a restorer, and she hears
about this and really

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gets interested in exploring
in much more detail

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how these figures
could work

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from an astronomical
perspective.

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LAURENCE: On her first
trip to Nazca in 1941,

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Reiche identifies 16 lines

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that point directly
at the rising

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or setting sun
on the dates of the solstice.

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Reiche also thinks she knows
why the Lines' creators

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might have made
this calendar to begin with.

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One of the things Reiche
did really well

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was track a large number
of correlations

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between the different figures
and different elements

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of astronomical importance.

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Two examples are a line
on the spider figure that points

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to Orion and a set of lines

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on another figure
that point to the Pleiades.

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Many ancient civilizations
are based

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around agriculture and farming,

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and knowing when to plant
or when to harvest

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is vitally important.

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Often, these times
would coincide

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with atmospheric patterns,
like rain.

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AARON: But what do you do
in a place where it never rains?

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FORREST: Most of this region's
water comes from periodic runoff

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from the surrounding mountains.

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So a farming culture
with an environment

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with virtually no rainfall
would rely heavily

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on a celestial calendar
to determine planting times

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for their survival.

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When that water comes,

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you need to be ready.

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MICHAEL DENNIN:
So one constellation you can use

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in this fashion is the Pleiades.

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When they show up in November,
you know you're really close

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to the rainfall
up in the mountains.

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You're about to get your runoff,

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so you start
your planting season,

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and when the Pleiades
leave the sky later in the year,

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that's when you know
it's time to start your harvest.

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LAURENCE: Reiche reports
her findings to the press,

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providing the first published
theory on the Nazca Lines.

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AARON: To this day,
Reiche's interpretation

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of the Lines dominates
the public's perception of them.

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She's dubbed
the Lady of the Lines.

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FORREST: There's plenty of
reason to believe this theory,

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because there are examples

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of many other
prehistoric cultures

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of earthworks being
constructed to aid

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in astronomical sightings
and calendars.

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LAURENCE: The famed Stonehenge
may be one such example.

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FORREST: In the 1960s,

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an astronomer named
Gerald Hawkins

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calculated the positions
of its standing stones

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using an early IBM computer
and announced that the monument

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was designed to predict
astronomical events.

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His work was a sensation
around the world,

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and inspired a new branch
of science,

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known as archeoastronomy.

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LAURENCE: In 1968, Hawkins
visits Nazca to study the Lines,

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using the same
computer matching technique.

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MICHAEL: In particular,
what Hawkins looks at

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is 21 triangles
and 70 or so lines,

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and really asks,
"Okay, how well correlated

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are these
with astronomical phenomena?

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His conclusion?
The connections Reiche found

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were only coincidental.

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One of the issues
is that there are just

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so many of the Lines
and in such a large variety

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and in so many directions,
that, to suggest all of them,

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or even most of them,
are connected to astronomy

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is a clear stretch.

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MICHAEL: Reiche and Kosok,
when they see the findings,

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they don't disagree with them.

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I mean, the computer findings
are pretty solid,

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but they do point out

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that this isn't
necessarily conclusive.

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It doesn't rule out
that some of the Lines

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aren't astronomical.

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FORREST: They believe there are
some alignments, which are done

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on purpose to be used
as a celestial calendar,

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but there must also be
a much larger and grand purpose

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to the design that they haven't
figured out yet.

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LAURENCE:
When Peruvian archeologist

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Toribio Xesspe discovers
the Nazca Lines in 1926,

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the first thing that strikes him
is their incredible scale.

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MICHAEL: When you look
at these shapes and features,

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they're so huge,
they can only be viewed

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from above and very high
in the sky.

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So this does mean
that the culture that built them

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00:11:09,500 --> 00:11:12,458
would actually never be able
to see them directly.

246
00:11:12,542 --> 00:11:15,083
FORREST: We know there weren't
planes or other flying vessels

247
00:11:15,208 --> 00:11:17,958
2,500 years ago, when
the Lines were first created,

248
00:11:18,042 --> 00:11:21,083
but somehow these people
decided to craft designs

249
00:11:21,208 --> 00:11:22,917
meant to be seen
from what, to them,

250
00:11:23,042 --> 00:11:24,375
would have been
an impossible viewpoint.

251
00:11:24,500 --> 00:11:26,333
It doesn't make sense.

252
00:11:26,458 --> 00:11:30,667
LAURENCE: Unless the Lines were
designed for another purpose.

253
00:11:30,792 --> 00:11:33,667
In 1968,
Swiss author Eric Von Daniken

254
00:11:33,792 --> 00:11:35,500
claims he knows the reason.

255
00:11:35,625 --> 00:11:38,083
The Lines aren't built
for anyone on Earth.

256
00:11:38,208 --> 00:11:40,333
Instead, they're built
as a landing guide

257
00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:42,000
to an extraterrestrial species

258
00:11:42,083 --> 00:11:44,125
that once visited
the Nazcans from the heavens.

259
00:11:44,208 --> 00:11:47,167
♪ ♪

260
00:11:47,250 --> 00:11:50,083
One of the first Europeans
to see the Lines is

261
00:11:50,208 --> 00:11:53,667
a magistrate named
Luis de Monzon in 1586.

262
00:11:54,333 --> 00:11:55,667
FORREST: He initially suspects
that they are traces

263
00:11:55,750 --> 00:11:57,542
of ancient roads,
which, of course,

264
00:11:57,708 --> 00:11:59,417
we know isn't true these days.

265
00:11:59,542 --> 00:12:01,375
CAROLINE CORY: When he asks
the locals about them,

266
00:12:01,542 --> 00:12:02,875
he's told of a legend.

267
00:12:03,042 --> 00:12:05,833
In very old times,
the Nazcans were visited

268
00:12:05,958 --> 00:12:08,667
by people
they called the Viracochas.

269
00:12:08,833 --> 00:12:12,500
They referred to
as saintly persons.

270
00:12:12,625 --> 00:12:14,667
The locals tell De Monzon
that the paths

271
00:12:14,792 --> 00:12:16,208
were actually built for them.

272
00:12:17,458 --> 00:12:21,250
LAURENCE: Viracocha is also
the name of a Nazcan god.

273
00:12:21,375 --> 00:12:24,250
This deity dates back
to around 3000 BC,

274
00:12:24,375 --> 00:12:27,125
and the legend says that he came
from the sky in a golden boat,

275
00:12:27,250 --> 00:12:28,500
from the other side
of the Milky Way,

276
00:12:28,583 --> 00:12:29,458
to be specific.

277
00:12:30,625 --> 00:12:31,958
In the oldest depictions,
he's pictured

278
00:12:32,083 --> 00:12:34,375
with a cone-shaped skull
and only four digits

279
00:12:34,542 --> 00:12:36,333
on his hands and feet.

280
00:12:36,417 --> 00:12:39,667
LAURENCE: Von Daniken believes
these legends are a reference

281
00:12:39,833 --> 00:12:42,250
to extraterrestrials.

282
00:12:42,375 --> 00:12:45,833
MICHAEL: One of Von Daniken's
key thesis and beliefs

283
00:12:45,958 --> 00:12:48,667
is that the ancient people
saw these extraterrestrials,

284
00:12:48,833 --> 00:12:50,000
these aliens, as gods.

285
00:12:51,208 --> 00:12:53,375
FORREST: Von Daniken believes
that when the Viracochas,

286
00:12:53,500 --> 00:12:55,792
or aliens, first visit,

287
00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:58,958
they teach the Nazca people
how to make these Lines.

288
00:12:59,042 --> 00:13:01,292
FORREST: The earliest Lines
are built as a landing pad

289
00:13:01,375 --> 00:13:02,958
or navigational marker,

290
00:13:03,083 --> 00:13:05,458
basically an airstrip
for these alien ships.

291
00:13:06,417 --> 00:13:09,833
We don't know if these aliens
ever made any return visits,

292
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,833
but Von Daniken believes that
eventually they stop coming,

293
00:13:12,917 --> 00:13:15,292
and the Nazca decide
to get creative.

294
00:13:15,917 --> 00:13:17,042
FORREST: They want
the Viracochas

295
00:13:17,167 --> 00:13:19,208
to return back
as soon as possible,

296
00:13:19,333 --> 00:13:22,458
so they start building more
and more elaborate Nazca Lines.

297
00:13:23,208 --> 00:13:26,000
LAURENCE:
Von Daniken's 1968 book,

298
00:13:26,083 --> 00:13:29,167
"Chariots of the Gods,"
turns the Nazca Lines

299
00:13:29,333 --> 00:13:32,000
into an international
phenomenon.

300
00:13:32,125 --> 00:13:34,125
MICHAEL: When Von Daniken
first came out with his book,

301
00:13:34,208 --> 00:13:36,500
this really generated
a lot of interest,

302
00:13:36,667 --> 00:13:38,500
a lot of excitement,
a lot of buzz.

303
00:13:38,667 --> 00:13:40,750
It was a very,
very intriguing idea

304
00:13:40,875 --> 00:13:42,667
that maybe aliens had visited.

305
00:13:43,375 --> 00:13:45,167
FORREST: And, in fact,
some people look

306
00:13:45,250 --> 00:13:48,083
at one of the Nazca geoglyphs
in particular, and believe

307
00:13:48,208 --> 00:13:50,042
it may prove
Von Daniken's theory.

308
00:13:51,250 --> 00:13:53,000
LAURENCE:
Known as The Astronaut,

309
00:13:53,083 --> 00:13:55,875
this figure covers nearly 100ft
of a hillside,

310
00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:57,875
overlooking the desert.

311
00:13:58,000 --> 00:13:59,958
Some call it The Astronaut
because it looks like

312
00:14:00,083 --> 00:14:01,458
it's wearing a space helmet,

313
00:14:01,542 --> 00:14:03,792
which, of course,
is a modern interpretation.

314
00:14:03,875 --> 00:14:07,000
Most historians
refer to him as the Owl Man.

315
00:14:07,083 --> 00:14:10,875
AARON: It's a humanoid figure,
but clearly not entirely human.

316
00:14:11,042 --> 00:14:13,667
It features large, round eyes,
and it seems to be

317
00:14:13,833 --> 00:14:16,167
waving hello
to someone in the skies.

318
00:14:17,208 --> 00:14:19,042
CAROLINE: A thousand years
after the creation

319
00:14:19,167 --> 00:14:22,250
of the Nazca Astronaut,
the Inca build a statue

320
00:14:22,375 --> 00:14:26,917
of Viracocha in Cusco,
raising his right hand,

321
00:14:27,042 --> 00:14:28,583
much like The Astronaut.

322
00:14:28,708 --> 00:14:31,208
Scholars believe
the Nazca Astronaut

323
00:14:31,333 --> 00:14:33,625
could be an image
of the same god.

324
00:14:34,375 --> 00:14:35,875
AARON: We don't currently
have any way to know

325
00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,833
if the Nazca Astronaut
is an alien.

326
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:40,875
There are no records
from this society,

327
00:14:41,042 --> 00:14:43,125
apart from the Nazca Lines
themselves.

328
00:14:43,917 --> 00:14:45,458
LAURENCE:
But one ancient practice

329
00:14:45,583 --> 00:14:48,167
might offer more insight.

330
00:14:48,333 --> 00:14:49,833
FORREST: Remember those ancient
Peruvian mummies

331
00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:51,583
Xesspe was examining?

332
00:14:51,708 --> 00:14:55,458
Well, shockingly, many of them
have elongated skulls.

333
00:14:55,542 --> 00:14:56,833
Today, it might be seen

334
00:14:56,958 --> 00:14:58,542
as a strange
and disturbing look,

335
00:14:58,708 --> 00:15:01,083
but it's believed that
the natives did this on purpose,

336
00:15:01,208 --> 00:15:03,833
by attaching wooden boards
to their infants' heads.

337
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:05,208
Several mummies are even found

338
00:15:05,375 --> 00:15:07,167
with these boards
still attached.

339
00:15:07,250 --> 00:15:10,125
LAURENCE:
The question is, why?

340
00:15:11,125 --> 00:15:14,167
We've seen Viracocha represented
with an elongated head,

341
00:15:14,250 --> 00:15:16,500
and many representations
of aliens

342
00:15:16,625 --> 00:15:18,167
with a similar head shape.

343
00:15:18,292 --> 00:15:20,708
Well, perhaps they're trying
to emulate the appearance

344
00:15:20,833 --> 00:15:23,292
of their gods,
who had similar features.

345
00:15:24,250 --> 00:15:28,375
LAURENCE: A 2017 discovery
takes this claim a step further.

346
00:15:28,708 --> 00:15:30,625
FORREST:
Dr. Konstantin Korotkov,

347
00:15:30,708 --> 00:15:32,000
professor of biophysics

348
00:15:32,125 --> 00:15:33,833
at St. Petersburg
Federal University,

349
00:15:33,917 --> 00:15:35,667
shows the press these mummies

350
00:15:35,833 --> 00:15:38,000
that he believes
aren't human at all.

351
00:15:38,125 --> 00:15:39,750
They look like
they're covered in plaster,

352
00:15:39,875 --> 00:15:41,583
but Korotkov explains,

353
00:15:41,708 --> 00:15:44,333
"This is just calcification
and protective material."

354
00:15:44,417 --> 00:15:47,167
They have elongated heads,
large round eyes,

355
00:15:47,250 --> 00:15:49,833
and just three digits
on their hands and feet.

356
00:15:49,917 --> 00:15:52,417
He calls it, quote,
"Another creature,"

357
00:15:52,542 --> 00:15:55,292
different from anything else
in our fossil record.

358
00:15:56,208 --> 00:15:58,417
These mummies are
made famous by a web series

359
00:15:58,542 --> 00:16:00,542
claiming to investigate
their authenticity.

360
00:16:00,708 --> 00:16:03,292
Millions of people
watch as stupefied scientists

361
00:16:03,375 --> 00:16:05,250
declare them to be
the genuine article.

362
00:16:05,375 --> 00:16:08,000
The body they examine
is indeed organic,

363
00:16:08,125 --> 00:16:11,125
and it dates back 1,700 years.

364
00:16:11,250 --> 00:16:13,167
LAURENCE: But when another team
of scientists

365
00:16:13,333 --> 00:16:16,792
inspects the mummies,
they're proven to be fake.

366
00:16:17,750 --> 00:16:19,958
MICHELE KOONS: They discovered
that these were mummies

367
00:16:20,042 --> 00:16:23,583
that were modified
for this hoax

368
00:16:23,708 --> 00:16:27,208
and really turns out
to be quite disturbing.

369
00:16:27,333 --> 00:16:30,167
FORREST: These bodies are made
from real indigenous mummies,

370
00:16:30,333 --> 00:16:32,875
which have been mutilated
to make them look like aliens.

371
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:34,875
Their ears and noses
are sliced away

372
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:36,083
and the alterations
are covered up

373
00:16:36,208 --> 00:16:38,125
with a white plastery powder.

374
00:16:39,167 --> 00:16:41,375
But the other mummies
with the elongated heads

375
00:16:41,542 --> 00:16:42,917
remain genuine.

376
00:16:43,042 --> 00:16:45,333
Those are humans
who most definitely

377
00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:48,167
gave themselves
an otherworldly appearance.

378
00:16:48,292 --> 00:16:49,875
Why?
We don't know.

379
00:16:50,667 --> 00:16:52,125
AARON: I think everyone
would like to know the answer

380
00:16:52,250 --> 00:16:54,292
to that question.

381
00:16:54,417 --> 00:16:56,083
Maybe they were trying
to connect with another culture

382
00:16:56,208 --> 00:16:58,333
that once visited them
from above.

383
00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:00,750
Or maybe they just heard stories
of some visit

384
00:17:00,875 --> 00:17:02,792
from long ago
and were inspired.

385
00:17:06,875 --> 00:17:08,458
LAURENCE:
Nazca, Peru, is home

386
00:17:08,542 --> 00:17:11,042
to two incredible
ancient phenomena,

387
00:17:11,167 --> 00:17:14,333
the Nazca Lines
and a necropolis

388
00:17:14,458 --> 00:17:19,000
of South American mummies,
several thousand years old.

389
00:17:19,125 --> 00:17:21,208
FORREST:veryone focuses
on the Nazca Lines

390
00:17:21,333 --> 00:17:24,375
because of just how massive
and perplexing they are.

391
00:17:24,542 --> 00:17:26,167
But we can't lose sight
of the mummies,

392
00:17:26,250 --> 00:17:29,167
because the two
may be intricately linked.

393
00:17:29,833 --> 00:17:33,167
AARON: Mummification here
dates back 7,000 years.

394
00:17:33,250 --> 00:17:34,833
That's a full 2,000 years

395
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,167
before the first
Egyptian mummies.

396
00:17:37,292 --> 00:17:39,542
MICHELE: In Egypt, they used
different techniques

397
00:17:39,708 --> 00:17:42,750
to dry out the body
before they would wrap it.

398
00:17:42,875 --> 00:17:45,792
In this region, they didn't do
anything artificial.

399
00:17:46,458 --> 00:17:47,958
The mummies were able
to preserve

400
00:17:48,042 --> 00:17:51,583
because this desert environment
is so dry.

401
00:17:51,708 --> 00:17:54,417
In fact, some of these mummies
are way better preserved

402
00:17:54,542 --> 00:17:56,625
than what we even see
in ancient Egypt.

403
00:17:57,875 --> 00:18:00,250
FORREST: Dry conditions are
one part of the reason,

404
00:18:00,375 --> 00:18:03,208
but the other is
the technique they used.

405
00:18:03,375 --> 00:18:05,833
While the Egyptians used
fine linens, the Nazca mummies

406
00:18:05,958 --> 00:18:08,625
are wrapped in very long,
thick cotton and wool textiles,

407
00:18:08,750 --> 00:18:11,042
which are embroidered
with a skill and quality

408
00:18:11,208 --> 00:18:13,125
that's unmatched
by any other civilization.

409
00:18:13,833 --> 00:18:18,167
LAURENCE: In 1983,
Swiss historian Henri Stierlin

410
00:18:18,292 --> 00:18:20,417
thinks he knows their secret.

411
00:18:20,542 --> 00:18:22,500
FORREST:
Stierlin is an art historian,

412
00:18:22,667 --> 00:18:25,125
and he realizes what it would
take for these ancient people

413
00:18:25,208 --> 00:18:26,917
to craft these textiles.

414
00:18:27,042 --> 00:18:30,667
They would need a lot
of space and huge long looms,

415
00:18:30,750 --> 00:18:32,750
essentially an ancient version
of a factory,

416
00:18:32,875 --> 00:18:35,167
to churn out this incredible
amount of cloth.

417
00:18:35,333 --> 00:18:37,167
He looks around
at what they have nearby

418
00:18:37,292 --> 00:18:39,625
and he determines
the Nazca Lines

419
00:18:39,750 --> 00:18:40,833
might be the place.

420
00:18:40,958 --> 00:18:44,333
♪ ♪

421
00:18:44,458 --> 00:18:46,042
LAURENCE: Stierlin writes a book

422
00:18:46,208 --> 00:18:49,125
called
"Nazca, the Key to the Mystery,"

423
00:18:49,250 --> 00:18:51,667
which details his theory.

424
00:18:51,792 --> 00:18:53,500
AARON: One of the most
stunning discoveries

425
00:18:53,583 --> 00:18:55,583
about these mummy wraps
is that they are made

426
00:18:55,708 --> 00:18:59,125
from a single piece
of cotton thread,

427
00:18:59,208 --> 00:19:00,917
which can be dozens
of miles long.

428
00:19:01,042 --> 00:19:04,833
This idea of a single thread
is reflected in the way

429
00:19:04,917 --> 00:19:07,250
the Nazca Lines
are created too.

430
00:19:07,375 --> 00:19:09,250
They're made
with a single line,

431
00:19:09,375 --> 00:19:12,167
which starts and ends
in the same spot.

432
00:19:13,083 --> 00:19:15,833
FORREST: So first they need
to make very long threads.

433
00:19:15,917 --> 00:19:18,375
Stierlin believes
they use the wide clearings

434
00:19:18,542 --> 00:19:20,833
within the geometric shapes
as sacred spaces

435
00:19:20,917 --> 00:19:23,292
for spinning the cotton fibers
into these threads.

436
00:19:23,417 --> 00:19:26,542
As the threads are made,
Stierlin thinks the weavers

437
00:19:26,708 --> 00:19:29,333
would lay them out along
the Nazca Line's animal designs.

438
00:19:30,292 --> 00:19:32,292
LAURENCE:
According to Peruvian beliefs,

439
00:19:32,375 --> 00:19:34,833
each animal carries
a different significance.

440
00:19:34,958 --> 00:19:37,500
FORREST: So, depending
on who they're burying,

441
00:19:37,667 --> 00:19:40,000
they would lay the thread
in a different Nazca Line

442
00:19:40,167 --> 00:19:43,500
to infuse it with the power
of that family's chosen animal.

443
00:19:43,583 --> 00:19:46,208
For instance, the whale
provides success in fishing.

444
00:19:46,333 --> 00:19:48,583
The hummingbird
provides fertility.

445
00:19:49,875 --> 00:19:52,708
LAURENCE: As far as the actual
weaving, Stierlin thinks

446
00:19:52,875 --> 00:19:56,333
this takes place within
the Nazca Lines themselves.

447
00:19:56,417 --> 00:19:59,875
So Stierlin had this idea
that the Nazca Lines

448
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,500
acted as a giant loom,

449
00:20:02,583 --> 00:20:04,750
because there are these posts
within the Nazca Lines,

450
00:20:04,875 --> 00:20:07,792
the people would take
the thread and wind

451
00:20:07,875 --> 00:20:11,750
back and forth over the Lines
to create the textiles.

452
00:20:11,875 --> 00:20:14,625
FORREST: There were posts found
at the Nazca Lines.

453
00:20:14,708 --> 00:20:16,833
That's actually how scientists
are able to date them

454
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:17,958
in the first place.

455
00:20:18,833 --> 00:20:20,000
They test the remains
of organic wooden posts

456
00:20:20,125 --> 00:20:21,708
discovered nearby.

457
00:20:21,833 --> 00:20:23,625
Stierlin believes
these posts could have been

458
00:20:23,750 --> 00:20:26,250
the framework to support
this giant loom system.

459
00:20:27,208 --> 00:20:29,375
LAURENCE:
Stierlin also finds a connection

460
00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:31,833
in the drawings themselves.

461
00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:34,375
MICHELE: So the designs
on the mummy textiles

462
00:20:34,542 --> 00:20:37,583
are very similar to what we see
in the Nazca Lines,

463
00:20:37,708 --> 00:20:40,667
a similar array
of animals and plants.

464
00:20:41,625 --> 00:20:43,500
FORREST: These ceremonial shapes
might have been a part

465
00:20:43,625 --> 00:20:45,708
of the entire process,
from the weaving

466
00:20:45,875 --> 00:20:47,458
through to the end
of the mummification.

467
00:20:47,583 --> 00:20:50,333
One single mummy shroud
could have over

468
00:20:50,417 --> 00:20:52,583
a million stitches
on the main panel,

469
00:20:52,708 --> 00:20:55,625
and another 800,000 or so
on the borders.

470
00:20:55,750 --> 00:20:58,208
This is a huge
collaborative effort.

471
00:20:58,375 --> 00:21:00,625
Making the mummies
must have been a very sacred

472
00:21:00,750 --> 00:21:02,417
and important process
to these people.

473
00:21:02,542 --> 00:21:04,708
So why not build
a sacred and important

474
00:21:04,875 --> 00:21:06,500
site to do it?

475
00:21:06,625 --> 00:21:08,375
AARON: The Egyptian mummies
were preserved

476
00:21:08,500 --> 00:21:11,167
and wrapped by priests
and elaborate rituals

477
00:21:11,292 --> 00:21:12,958
inside impressive temples.

478
00:21:13,042 --> 00:21:14,792
This could have been
a prehistoric version

479
00:21:14,917 --> 00:21:16,583
of the same thing.

480
00:21:16,708 --> 00:21:18,375
LAURENCE: According
to Stierlin's theory,

481
00:21:18,542 --> 00:21:21,667
the operation may have
expanded beyond the mummies.

482
00:21:21,750 --> 00:21:25,333
♪ ♪

483
00:21:25,458 --> 00:21:27,417
FORREST: The Nazca Lines
mummy factory

484
00:21:27,542 --> 00:21:29,583
may have eventually
become a textile factory,

485
00:21:29,708 --> 00:21:33,667
serving the entire Andean coast
and parts of the highlands.

486
00:21:33,792 --> 00:21:35,792
AARON: It's interesting
because while you can't grow

487
00:21:35,917 --> 00:21:38,833
many things in this environment,
you can grow cotton.

488
00:21:38,958 --> 00:21:42,333
It's one of the only useful
crops they could have had.

489
00:21:42,417 --> 00:21:44,917
FORREST: You have to wonder,
how did they survive?

490
00:21:45,042 --> 00:21:47,458
Well, if this was a place
that could abundantly

491
00:21:47,542 --> 00:21:50,292
manufacture cloth,
they could have traded it.

492
00:21:50,417 --> 00:21:52,792
MICHELE: But Stierlin's theory
is really based off

493
00:21:52,875 --> 00:21:54,208
of a lot of speculation.

494
00:21:54,333 --> 00:21:56,500
There's no archeological
evidence

495
00:21:56,625 --> 00:21:58,917
that any weaving
was done on these Lines.

496
00:21:59,042 --> 00:22:02,417
He probably saw the posts
and just had this idea

497
00:22:02,542 --> 00:22:06,417
because textile production
is so important in the Andes,

498
00:22:06,542 --> 00:22:09,042
and textiles, in fact,
were more important

499
00:22:09,167 --> 00:22:11,750
than even some of the precious
metals, like gold.

500
00:22:13,458 --> 00:22:16,000
LAURENCE: But a new discovery
in 1987

501
00:22:16,083 --> 00:22:18,833
challenges Stierlin's theory.

502
00:22:19,417 --> 00:22:21,167
About two miles away
from the Nazca Lines,

503
00:22:21,333 --> 00:22:23,250
up on a high plateau,

504
00:22:23,375 --> 00:22:26,417
is a ceremonial center
called Cahuachi.

505
00:22:26,542 --> 00:22:29,875
An Italian archeologist
named Giuseppe Orefici

506
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,375
has been in charge
of excavations there since 1984.

507
00:22:34,500 --> 00:22:37,375
He's working closely
with an American archeologist,

508
00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:39,792
Helaine Silverman.

509
00:22:39,875 --> 00:22:41,875
FORREST: At Cahuachi, Silverman
and Orefici have found

510
00:22:42,042 --> 00:22:44,833
lots of chambers that we now
believe to be workshops

511
00:22:44,917 --> 00:22:46,500
for making textiles,

512
00:22:46,625 --> 00:22:48,083
with remains of weaving
materials found there.

513
00:22:48,917 --> 00:22:50,917
When Silverman
first publishes her work

514
00:22:51,042 --> 00:22:53,958
in the "Journal of Field
Archeology" in 1988,

515
00:22:54,042 --> 00:22:56,667
she finds that Cahuachi
is the center for the production

516
00:22:56,792 --> 00:22:59,333
of these elaborate costumes
worn by the Nazca priests

517
00:22:59,458 --> 00:23:01,208
and where the rituals
are performed.

518
00:23:01,333 --> 00:23:04,167
In other words, Cahuachi is
the mummy and textile factory,

519
00:23:04,292 --> 00:23:06,917
not the Nazca Lines themselves.

520
00:23:07,042 --> 00:23:10,292
LAURENCE: But some believe
there's still a connection

521
00:23:10,417 --> 00:23:12,792
between the two locations.

522
00:23:12,875 --> 00:23:14,333
FORREST: The Nazca Lines
might not have been

523
00:23:14,500 --> 00:23:16,875
a mummy factory
or textile factory,

524
00:23:17,042 --> 00:23:18,625
but they could have been
a place to reflect

525
00:23:18,750 --> 00:23:20,667
while that process
was happening nearby.

526
00:23:20,833 --> 00:23:24,083
The entire area, both the Lines
in the valley and Cahuachi,

527
00:23:24,208 --> 00:23:27,250
perched above, was most likely
a place of pilgrimage

528
00:23:27,375 --> 00:23:29,167
for natives
throughout the region,

529
00:23:29,333 --> 00:23:31,458
a kind of religious tourism site

530
00:23:31,542 --> 00:23:34,500
which included a funeral parlor
and textile trading.

531
00:23:34,667 --> 00:23:36,500
Visitors to Cahuachi
would have had a fine view

532
00:23:36,583 --> 00:23:38,250
of some of the Nazca Lines
below,

533
00:23:38,375 --> 00:23:40,000
and I don't think
that's a coincidence.

534
00:23:40,125 --> 00:23:41,542
♪ ♪

535
00:23:45,417 --> 00:23:47,500
Many scholars
have studied the Nazca Lines

536
00:23:47,625 --> 00:23:50,208
and speculated
about their mysterious designs,

537
00:23:50,333 --> 00:23:55,000
but it's not until 2019
that a Japanese research team

538
00:23:55,083 --> 00:23:59,458
takes a closer look
at some of the animal patterns.

539
00:23:59,542 --> 00:24:02,917
Their findings unlock
a new possible theory

540
00:24:03,042 --> 00:24:04,792
surrounding these shapes.

541
00:24:05,667 --> 00:24:08,125
MICHAEL: The animals represented
in the Nazca Lines

542
00:24:08,250 --> 00:24:10,208
are referred to as biomorphs.

543
00:24:10,375 --> 00:24:11,667
There's over 70 of these.

544
00:24:11,833 --> 00:24:14,208
They represent a wide range
of animals,

545
00:24:14,333 --> 00:24:17,208
insects like spiders,
monkeys, dogs,

546
00:24:17,375 --> 00:24:19,000
and a wide range of birds.

547
00:24:19,125 --> 00:24:21,667
FORREST: The animals range
in size from about 50ft long

548
00:24:21,792 --> 00:24:24,125
up to over 1,200ft,
almost as tall

549
00:24:24,250 --> 00:24:25,875
as the Empire State Building.

550
00:24:26,042 --> 00:24:29,583
For about 100 years after
these were first discovered,

551
00:24:29,708 --> 00:24:32,250
no one really thought carefully
about the animals.

552
00:24:32,375 --> 00:24:33,750
They just classified them
and noticed,

553
00:24:33,875 --> 00:24:35,625
"Oh, there's animal biomorphs."

554
00:24:35,750 --> 00:24:38,833
The reality is
that these animals are shocking

555
00:24:38,958 --> 00:24:41,083
because they don't exist
in this area.

556
00:24:41,208 --> 00:24:44,167
And so really asking the
question, "Why these animals?

557
00:24:44,292 --> 00:24:46,292
Why here?"
Becomes critical.

558
00:24:47,250 --> 00:24:50,125
LAURENCE: Researchers from
Hokkaido University in Japan

559
00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:52,417
attempt to answer
these questions.

560
00:24:52,542 --> 00:24:55,458
For the first time ever,
these Japanese researchers

561
00:24:55,583 --> 00:24:57,333
take a scientific approach
to classifying

562
00:24:57,458 --> 00:24:59,667
the species depicted
in the Lines.

563
00:24:59,750 --> 00:25:02,667
They want to identify precisely
what species each drawing

564
00:25:02,750 --> 00:25:04,417
depicts and where it comes from,

565
00:25:04,542 --> 00:25:06,167
and then maybe they can find

566
00:25:06,333 --> 00:25:08,208
some sort of logic or pattern
to figure out the reason.

567
00:25:09,042 --> 00:25:11,458
MICHAEL: So one of the exciting
things is there's at least

568
00:25:11,583 --> 00:25:14,000
18 species that they're able
to identify.

569
00:25:14,125 --> 00:25:15,958
There are a handful
that they actually

570
00:25:16,042 --> 00:25:19,500
just can't associate or identify
a particular species for.

571
00:25:19,625 --> 00:25:21,333
FORREST: Along with
the rather obvious monkey

572
00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:23,875
and llama,
they identify a frigate bird,

573
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,125
a pelican, a guano bird,
and even a killer whale.

574
00:25:27,708 --> 00:25:29,083
The hummingbird,
they identify it

575
00:25:29,208 --> 00:25:31,625
as a hermit hummingbird,
a species that lives

576
00:25:31,750 --> 00:25:33,708
only in the tropics
and subtropics,

577
00:25:33,875 --> 00:25:35,500
far to the north and east.

578
00:25:36,417 --> 00:25:39,042
The animals that the Japanese
classify are all from places

579
00:25:39,208 --> 00:25:42,000
with lots of water,
like the coast or rainy jungle.

580
00:25:42,083 --> 00:25:45,208
So, sure enough, they seem
to be identifying a pattern,

581
00:25:45,333 --> 00:25:48,583
and the team believes that water
is the key to understanding

582
00:25:48,708 --> 00:25:49,833
the purpose of the Lines.

583
00:25:51,375 --> 00:25:54,042
LAURENCE: Throughout history,
early civilizations

584
00:25:54,167 --> 00:25:57,667
rely on an abundance of water
to grow food,

585
00:25:57,833 --> 00:26:01,125
but the dry desert conditions
of the Nazca region

586
00:26:01,208 --> 00:26:03,167
offer almost none.

587
00:26:03,292 --> 00:26:05,500
FORREST: The very reason
these Lines have survived

588
00:26:05,625 --> 00:26:07,917
so long is because the area
is so dry.

589
00:26:08,042 --> 00:26:11,333
It only gets rain for maybe 20
minutes a year. 20 minutes.

590
00:26:11,500 --> 00:26:14,667
So what do you do in a place
where you don't get any rain,

591
00:26:14,750 --> 00:26:16,000
yet you desperately need it?

592
00:26:16,125 --> 00:26:18,333
For many ancient societies,
you pray.

593
00:26:18,417 --> 00:26:21,958
♪ ♪

594
00:26:22,042 --> 00:26:24,333
The Nazca are
a priestly society,

595
00:26:24,500 --> 00:26:26,208
a deeply religious society.

596
00:26:26,333 --> 00:26:29,208
We know this from the huge
religious complex at Cahuachi,

597
00:26:29,333 --> 00:26:31,500
which is like the Vatican
for the Nazca people

598
00:26:31,625 --> 00:26:33,125
and the whole coast of Peru.

599
00:26:33,208 --> 00:26:35,542
The geoglyphs that surround it
seem connected

600
00:26:35,667 --> 00:26:38,000
to the complex
and the rituals performed there.

601
00:26:38,125 --> 00:26:40,542
And the Japanese team believes
all of it is centered

602
00:26:40,708 --> 00:26:42,500
around begging the gods
for rain.

603
00:26:43,167 --> 00:26:46,083
CAROLINE: The location
of Cahuachi is not an accident.

604
00:26:46,208 --> 00:26:49,542
There's actually a river
that runs through the area

605
00:26:49,667 --> 00:26:51,667
and across this stretch
of desert,

606
00:26:51,750 --> 00:26:54,000
the river runs underground.

607
00:26:54,167 --> 00:26:58,125
It only emerges above ground
again as it enters the lowlands,

608
00:26:58,208 --> 00:27:01,667
right on the spot
where Cahuachi's located.

609
00:27:01,750 --> 00:27:04,458
This is where the water
is given back to the people.

610
00:27:04,542 --> 00:27:06,625
And so this is
where they establish

611
00:27:06,708 --> 00:27:08,833
their most important
pilgrimage shrine.

612
00:27:09,250 --> 00:27:11,458
LAURENCE:
According to the Japanese team,

613
00:27:11,583 --> 00:27:14,125
many of the Nazca Lines
are arranged

614
00:27:14,250 --> 00:27:17,833
in a path that leads
directly to Cahuachi.

615
00:27:17,917 --> 00:27:20,167
They're guiding
the people to their sacred place

616
00:27:20,250 --> 00:27:21,750
for water rituals.

617
00:27:21,875 --> 00:27:23,958
All along that pilgrimage route,
they would be saying

618
00:27:24,042 --> 00:27:26,208
their prayers in the hopes
that these mystical animals

619
00:27:26,333 --> 00:27:28,083
swould bring along
their region's rain.

620
00:27:28,208 --> 00:27:30,667
Keep in mind, they're not
actually praying for the rain

621
00:27:30,750 --> 00:27:33,083
to fall in the desert,
that won't help them.

622
00:27:33,208 --> 00:27:35,750
They're praying for it to fall
in the surrounding highland

623
00:27:35,875 --> 00:27:38,292
and coastal areas, where they
plant their fields.

624
00:27:38,417 --> 00:27:40,167
CAROLINE: They're also
praying for the rain

625
00:27:40,292 --> 00:27:42,000
to come peacefully.

626
00:27:42,167 --> 00:27:44,042
The climate
along the Peruvian coast

627
00:27:44,208 --> 00:27:47,792
can be unpredictable,
and sometimes catastrophic,

628
00:27:47,917 --> 00:27:52,458
with wild deluges that cause
landslides and flooding,

629
00:27:52,583 --> 00:27:54,333
wreaking havoc on the farmers.

630
00:27:54,458 --> 00:27:57,292
So the whole belief system
with this pilgrimage

631
00:27:57,375 --> 00:27:59,417
along the Nazca Lines
is centered around creating

632
00:27:59,542 --> 00:28:01,167
a friendly, working relationship

633
00:28:01,292 --> 00:28:03,583
with the gods
who control the weather.

634
00:28:03,708 --> 00:28:05,833
These gods are invoked
and pleaded with

635
00:28:05,917 --> 00:28:08,375
within the sacred spaces
of Cahuachi and the biomorphs.

636
00:28:08,542 --> 00:28:10,375
♪ ♪

637
00:28:10,542 --> 00:28:13,750
LAURENCE: The team identifies
the same species on rock art,

638
00:28:13,875 --> 00:28:17,333
ceramics and textiles
from the area.

639
00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:19,833
ALEXEI VRANICH: They even made
musical instruments

640
00:28:19,958 --> 00:28:21,833
out of pottery.

641
00:28:21,958 --> 00:28:23,458
FORREST:
It must be quite an elaborate

642
00:28:23,542 --> 00:28:25,833
and celebratory process.

643
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,000
You can imagine hundreds
of people in colorful costumes,

644
00:28:29,167 --> 00:28:32,500
performing ritual processions
or dances along the Nazca Lines,

645
00:28:32,625 --> 00:28:33,750
accompanied by drums
and panpipes.

646
00:28:33,875 --> 00:28:34,667
It's quite a spectacle.

647
00:28:34,792 --> 00:28:36,333
♪ ♪

648
00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:38,667
LAURENCE: There seems
to be one more connection

649
00:28:38,792 --> 00:28:40,667
between the Lines and water.

650
00:28:40,792 --> 00:28:42,500
The last thing they find
is that there are

651
00:28:42,625 --> 00:28:45,625
several rock altars at the edges
of some of the clearings,

652
00:28:45,750 --> 00:28:47,333
right by the Nazca Lines,

653
00:28:47,417 --> 00:28:50,292
and inside the altars
there are crayfish claws,

654
00:28:50,417 --> 00:28:54,250
crab skeletons, mollusk shells,
the remains of sea creatures

655
00:28:54,375 --> 00:28:57,208
here, in the desert,
at 4,000 feet above sea level.

656
00:28:57,333 --> 00:28:58,667
That's a bit surprising.

657
00:28:58,792 --> 00:29:00,458
They're bringing these materials

658
00:29:00,542 --> 00:29:02,250
from the largest
body of water,

659
00:29:02,375 --> 00:29:06,375
the ocean, as a way
of asking the gods for water.

660
00:29:06,500 --> 00:29:09,542
Once again, this supports
the Japanese theory.

661
00:29:09,708 --> 00:29:12,250
The Nazca Lines were a place
for pilgrims to journey

662
00:29:12,375 --> 00:29:14,500
from all around
in the hopes of summoning

663
00:29:14,583 --> 00:29:16,458
their most sacred resource.

664
00:29:22,292 --> 00:29:25,917
LAURENCE: In 2019,
Japanese scientists revealed

665
00:29:26,042 --> 00:29:28,292
their belief
that the Nazca Lines

666
00:29:28,375 --> 00:29:31,125
were created
as a prayer for rain,

667
00:29:31,208 --> 00:29:33,792
a plea
that unfortunately failed.

668
00:29:34,458 --> 00:29:36,208
In the early fifth century,

669
00:29:36,333 --> 00:29:39,292
this culture suffers their
most extreme drought of all.

670
00:29:39,417 --> 00:29:42,250
It's so bad
that Cahuachi is abandoned.

671
00:29:42,375 --> 00:29:45,458
There's no more sacred city for
their rain and water rituals,

672
00:29:45,583 --> 00:29:47,500
no place for a pilgrimage.

673
00:29:47,625 --> 00:29:50,000
But after the drought,
there are still artifacts

674
00:29:50,125 --> 00:29:51,750
and human remains
that suggest people

675
00:29:51,875 --> 00:29:53,917
were still coming
to the Nazca Lines.

676
00:29:54,042 --> 00:29:55,333
So I think when you start
to make theories

677
00:29:55,417 --> 00:29:57,333
about the Nazca Lines
and their purpose,

678
00:29:57,458 --> 00:30:00,125
you have to split them
into two distinct periods.

679
00:30:00,208 --> 00:30:02,167
What were they used for
before the drought

680
00:30:02,292 --> 00:30:04,125
and what were
they used for after?

681
00:30:05,167 --> 00:30:06,667
I think before the drought,

682
00:30:06,792 --> 00:30:08,333
the 2019 theory
about the prayers

683
00:30:08,458 --> 00:30:10,833
for rain is probably
one of the best options.

684
00:30:10,917 --> 00:30:12,500
That seems to check
all the boxes.

685
00:30:13,458 --> 00:30:15,667
LAURENCE: As for their use
after the drought?

686
00:30:15,833 --> 00:30:19,417
A scientist in the mid-1990s
thinks he's figured it out.

687
00:30:20,792 --> 00:30:22,583
MICHELE: So in 1996,
David Johnson,

688
00:30:22,708 --> 00:30:24,375
who is an American scientist,

689
00:30:24,500 --> 00:30:27,583
traveled down to this region
and he is the first

690
00:30:27,708 --> 00:30:30,500
to really recognize these large,

691
00:30:30,625 --> 00:30:32,333
almost well-like structures

692
00:30:32,417 --> 00:30:35,125
in the desert,
that we call puquios.

693
00:30:35,208 --> 00:30:37,042
FORREST: The puquios
are the spiral-shaped

694
00:30:37,167 --> 00:30:39,000
stone staircases
around a hole

695
00:30:39,167 --> 00:30:41,292
that leads underground
to stone-reinforced tunnels

696
00:30:41,375 --> 00:30:43,667
under the earth,
lined with waterproof clay.

697
00:30:44,542 --> 00:30:45,833
MICHAEL: The locals
really talk about these

698
00:30:45,917 --> 00:30:47,875
as connected
to an irrigation system,

699
00:30:48,042 --> 00:30:49,875
a way of getting water
to flow throughout the area.

700
00:30:50,042 --> 00:30:52,375
One of the interesting things
is how old they are.

701
00:30:52,542 --> 00:30:54,833
They date back at least
to the 6th century

702
00:30:54,958 --> 00:30:56,500
and they're really connected
with the ending

703
00:30:56,667 --> 00:31:00,167
of this massive drought
that decimated the area.

704
00:31:00,250 --> 00:31:01,833
FORREST: Johnson realizes
there's a connection

705
00:31:01,958 --> 00:31:03,917
between the Nazca Lines
and these puquios,

706
00:31:04,042 --> 00:31:06,542
and starts working
on a theory of his own.

707
00:31:06,667 --> 00:31:09,917
He believes, after the drought,
the Nazca people repurposed

708
00:31:10,042 --> 00:31:12,083
their famous Lines
and created a map for one

709
00:31:12,208 --> 00:31:13,750
of the world's
most sophisticated systems

710
00:31:13,875 --> 00:31:15,125
of water management.

711
00:31:15,208 --> 00:31:19,042
♪ ♪

712
00:31:19,167 --> 00:31:21,875
LAURENCE: Johnson finds
two underground water sources

713
00:31:22,042 --> 00:31:24,917
in the Nazca desert
to support his theory.

714
00:31:25,042 --> 00:31:26,833
The first are rivers,
which flow down

715
00:31:26,917 --> 00:31:30,167
from the mountains before going
underground through this region.

716
00:31:30,292 --> 00:31:33,000
The second are geological
fault lines that run

717
00:31:33,167 --> 00:31:35,000
north to south
that bring up their own water

718
00:31:35,125 --> 00:31:36,833
from deeper beneath
the water table.

719
00:31:36,958 --> 00:31:38,167
When you look at this area,

720
00:31:38,250 --> 00:31:39,875
not only is it
one of the driest,

721
00:31:40,042 --> 00:31:42,208
it's also one of the most
seismically active areas,

722
00:31:42,375 --> 00:31:44,875
and so there's actually a lot
of fault lines in this region.

723
00:31:45,042 --> 00:31:48,000
FORREST: Johnson notices lots of
this area's ancient settlements

724
00:31:48,167 --> 00:31:50,417
are located right next
to faults and that there's

725
00:31:50,542 --> 00:31:53,208
usually a puquio system
there, in that spot, to tap

726
00:31:53,333 --> 00:31:56,167
into its water source,
and right on top of the faults,

727
00:31:56,333 --> 00:31:59,000
in almost every case,
he finds there are

728
00:31:59,167 --> 00:32:00,417
Nazca Lines marking their paths.

729
00:32:01,375 --> 00:32:03,583
The geometric shapes were
designed to track and locate

730
00:32:03,708 --> 00:32:06,083
underground water sources.

731
00:32:06,208 --> 00:32:09,750
So, in this process,
it's a way for the Nazca people

732
00:32:09,875 --> 00:32:11,167
to take control
of the water,

733
00:32:11,292 --> 00:32:12,917
instead of just
leaving it up to chance,

734
00:32:13,042 --> 00:32:15,833
as to whether or not rain
or runoff will show up.

735
00:32:16,917 --> 00:32:20,042
These puquios ensure a reliable
supply of water year-round,

736
00:32:20,208 --> 00:32:22,333
meaning they're able to turn
this arid desert

737
00:32:22,458 --> 00:32:25,500
into arable farmland strictly
through their own ingenuity.

738
00:32:27,208 --> 00:32:31,042
LAURENCE: This method is not
just relegated to antiquity.

739
00:32:31,167 --> 00:32:33,083
Johnson is impressed
the locals are

740
00:32:33,208 --> 00:32:34,583
still using the system
the Nazca created

741
00:32:34,708 --> 00:32:36,500
some 1,500 years later.

742
00:32:36,625 --> 00:32:38,333
There are around
30 of these puquios

743
00:32:38,458 --> 00:32:40,250
still in use
in the Nazca Valley.

744
00:32:40,375 --> 00:32:42,625
But it really takes a lot
of constant repair and work.

745
00:32:42,708 --> 00:32:46,125
So many are falling apart
and, you know, are out of use,

746
00:32:46,208 --> 00:32:47,458
but they are still usable

747
00:32:47,583 --> 00:32:49,000
where they've been
taken care of.

748
00:32:49,542 --> 00:32:51,667
LAURENCE: Johnson shares
his insight

749
00:32:51,792 --> 00:32:54,042
with archeologist Donald Proulx

750
00:32:54,208 --> 00:32:57,542
and hydrologist Stephen Mabee.

751
00:32:58,292 --> 00:33:00,083
FORREST:
From 1996 to 2000,

752
00:33:00,208 --> 00:33:02,167
they form
the Nazca Lines Project,

753
00:33:02,250 --> 00:33:04,042
plotting the course
of several faults to look

754
00:33:04,208 --> 00:33:06,000
for correlations with the Lines,

755
00:33:06,125 --> 00:33:09,125
and they're able
to confirm Johnson's ideas.

756
00:33:09,250 --> 00:33:12,667
In almost every case they study,
they find Nazca Lines

757
00:33:12,833 --> 00:33:14,333
charting the path
of the faults

758
00:33:14,458 --> 00:33:17,500
and pointing to where the faults
cross adjacent ridges.

759
00:33:17,583 --> 00:33:21,000
As they finished it, they really
came away feeling like they had

760
00:33:21,083 --> 00:33:23,500
solved one of archeology's
greatest mysteries.

761
00:33:24,417 --> 00:33:27,000
If this theory is correct,
the Nazcans have created a map

762
00:33:27,083 --> 00:33:28,500
of the underground
water sources,

763
00:33:28,667 --> 00:33:31,500
which they can now
tap into to survive.

764
00:33:31,667 --> 00:33:33,250
It's like
your local water utility map

765
00:33:33,375 --> 00:33:35,000
on a one to one scale.

766
00:33:35,167 --> 00:33:37,458
This is a complex
but effective way of recording

767
00:33:37,583 --> 00:33:40,208
knowledge onto the earth
for later generations to use.

768
00:33:41,042 --> 00:33:43,458
LAURENCE: But what about
the animal shapes?

769
00:33:43,542 --> 00:33:45,667
CAROLINE: This is why
we think the Nazca Lines

770
00:33:45,833 --> 00:33:47,333
may have been repurposed.

771
00:33:47,417 --> 00:33:50,375
The animal shapes began
as symbolic prayers

772
00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:53,500
or offerings to bring rainfall.

773
00:33:53,667 --> 00:33:56,208
LAURENCE: According to Johnson,
they eventually become part

774
00:33:56,333 --> 00:33:58,500
of the system as well.

775
00:33:59,208 --> 00:34:01,083
While the most important
mapping of the irrigation system

776
00:34:01,208 --> 00:34:02,958
is done with geometric shapes,

777
00:34:03,042 --> 00:34:04,792
Johnson writes
that the animal figures

778
00:34:04,917 --> 00:34:07,542
might have been used to name
the different water sources

779
00:34:07,708 --> 00:34:10,500
or indicate
where they change direction.

780
00:34:10,625 --> 00:34:13,875
CAROLINE: These puquios are
an incredible achievement,

781
00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,167
and the Nazca Lines
are a huge part

782
00:34:16,333 --> 00:34:19,333
of what makes them
function as a system.

783
00:34:19,417 --> 00:34:21,792
People still thrive
in a desert area

784
00:34:21,875 --> 00:34:25,042
because of the knowledge
they receive from the Lines.

785
00:34:25,208 --> 00:34:28,792
A map for survival
written in the sands.

786
00:34:28,917 --> 00:34:30,125
♪ ♪

787
00:34:35,208 --> 00:34:37,000
LAURENCE:
Over the last century,

788
00:34:37,125 --> 00:34:38,500
the world has marveled

789
00:34:38,625 --> 00:34:40,833
at the many
impressive achievements

790
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:42,542
of the Nazca people.

791
00:34:42,667 --> 00:34:44,667
The Lines themselves
are incredible,

792
00:34:44,750 --> 00:34:47,500
but we can't forget about
all of the other interesting

793
00:34:47,667 --> 00:34:50,792
artifacts and features that have
been found in this region.

794
00:34:50,917 --> 00:34:53,333
There are some of the world's
finest textiles

795
00:34:53,458 --> 00:34:55,292
with incredibly
elaborate designs.

796
00:34:55,375 --> 00:34:57,625
There's beautifully made
pottery.

797
00:34:57,708 --> 00:34:59,708
MICHELE: There are hundreds
of mummies that are

798
00:34:59,833 --> 00:35:03,083
way better preserved than what
we even see in ancient Egypt.

799
00:35:03,208 --> 00:35:04,958
FORREST:
And there's a centuries-old

800
00:35:05,042 --> 00:35:07,292
underground water management
system that works so well,

801
00:35:07,375 --> 00:35:08,958
it's still in use today.

802
00:35:09,083 --> 00:35:10,167
♪ ♪

803
00:35:10,292 --> 00:35:11,667
LAURENCE: But there's also

804
00:35:11,750 --> 00:35:13,708
a much more
disturbing discovery.

805
00:35:14,875 --> 00:35:17,500
MICHAEL: About 90 years ago,
Alfred Lewis Kroeber,

806
00:35:17,625 --> 00:35:19,958
an anthropologist,
was studying in the area,

807
00:35:20,083 --> 00:35:24,125
and what he found was
a collection of severed heads.

808
00:35:24,250 --> 00:35:27,500
MICHELE: So these heads
are really well-preserved,

809
00:35:27,625 --> 00:35:29,292
much like the mummies
that we find

810
00:35:29,375 --> 00:35:31,333
in this region,
because of the lack of rain,

811
00:35:31,417 --> 00:35:33,500
but what's interesting
about them is that they have

812
00:35:33,625 --> 00:35:36,500
holes in the center
of their forehead.

813
00:35:36,583 --> 00:35:38,458
And what we think
these holes were for

814
00:35:38,542 --> 00:35:43,708
is to put a string so
that the head could be carried.

815
00:35:43,875 --> 00:35:45,542
FORREST: Experts have
long believed that these are

816
00:35:45,667 --> 00:35:48,167
trophy heads,
taken from rivals during war,

817
00:35:48,250 --> 00:35:50,542
and then carried around
and put on display.

818
00:35:50,708 --> 00:35:53,333
Some heads are even found
next to full mummies,

819
00:35:53,458 --> 00:35:55,833
and researchers believe
that a person might be buried

820
00:35:55,958 --> 00:35:58,500
along with the trophy heads
they collected in life.

821
00:35:59,708 --> 00:36:01,250
LAURENCE: For nearly a century,

822
00:36:01,375 --> 00:36:02,958
these heads are thought
to belong

823
00:36:03,042 --> 00:36:05,000
to enemies of the Nazca.

824
00:36:05,167 --> 00:36:09,167
MICHELE: But years later,
a team of scientists, in 2009

825
00:36:09,292 --> 00:36:11,500
undertook some studies
on these trophy heads

826
00:36:11,625 --> 00:36:13,375
by using strontium analysis,

827
00:36:13,542 --> 00:36:16,375
which can tell you
where a person

828
00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:19,917
was originally born,
how that water in the ground was

829
00:36:20,042 --> 00:36:23,000
incorporated into their bones
and into their teeth.

830
00:36:23,125 --> 00:36:26,708
They were able to tell
where these heads originated.

831
00:36:26,833 --> 00:36:29,375
Come to find out,
the severed trophy heads

832
00:36:29,500 --> 00:36:30,958
come from other Nazcans.

833
00:36:31,042 --> 00:36:32,625
♪ ♪

834
00:36:32,750 --> 00:36:35,000
LAURENCE: The finding leads
some archeologists

835
00:36:35,125 --> 00:36:37,917
to completely rethink
the Nazca Lines.

836
00:36:38,042 --> 00:36:40,333
We have a feeling the Lines
are linked to rituals

837
00:36:40,458 --> 00:36:43,625
or spirituality somehow,
and we have a feeling

838
00:36:43,750 --> 00:36:46,333
they are linked to the precious
resource of water.

839
00:36:46,500 --> 00:36:49,125
This new theory takes
all of that into account,

840
00:36:49,208 --> 00:36:51,000
plus the fact
that we now have evidence

841
00:36:51,167 --> 00:36:53,083
of local natives being beheaded.

842
00:36:53,208 --> 00:36:56,167
MICHAEL: What does this mean?
Well, according to archeologists

843
00:36:56,292 --> 00:36:58,500
Donald Proulx
and Corina Kellner,

844
00:36:58,667 --> 00:37:01,792
what you have is a situation
where the Nazca Lines

845
00:37:01,875 --> 00:37:04,208
could be connected
to ritual human sacrifice.

846
00:37:04,375 --> 00:37:07,375
♪ ♪

847
00:37:07,500 --> 00:37:09,083
FORREST: If you examine
the images

848
00:37:09,208 --> 00:37:11,042
on pottery and textiles
from the Nazca,

849
00:37:11,167 --> 00:37:13,292
trophy heads are everywhere.

850
00:37:13,417 --> 00:37:14,875
Sometimes they're shown
with plants sprouting

851
00:37:15,042 --> 00:37:17,500
from them, which indicate
they were likely buried

852
00:37:17,583 --> 00:37:20,083
to increase
agricultural fertility.

853
00:37:20,208 --> 00:37:22,792
As we know now,
these are local Nazcans.

854
00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:24,667
They're not people
from other areas,

855
00:37:24,792 --> 00:37:27,875
so they presumably were
not taken in war or battle.

856
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:31,667
These are people who have freely
participated in the process

857
00:37:31,792 --> 00:37:34,833
and in the ritual
to help their own community.

858
00:37:35,708 --> 00:37:37,417
LAURENCE:
According to this theory,

859
00:37:37,542 --> 00:37:41,708
the venue for these rituals
is the Nazca Lines.

860
00:37:42,208 --> 00:37:44,500
When we look
at the geometric figures,

861
00:37:44,625 --> 00:37:46,792
we realize there are
these giant open spaces,

862
00:37:46,875 --> 00:37:50,125
and these are potentially
the arenas

863
00:37:50,208 --> 00:37:51,958
for these ritual sacrifices,

864
00:37:52,083 --> 00:37:54,000
whether they were battles
that were played out

865
00:37:54,167 --> 00:37:56,125
or other ritual actions.

866
00:37:56,250 --> 00:38:00,542
In the Andean culture, warfare
is actually linked to fertility,

867
00:38:00,667 --> 00:38:04,000
and the losers of battle
are sacrificed to the gods

868
00:38:04,125 --> 00:38:05,667
to help with that fertility.

869
00:38:05,833 --> 00:38:08,042
FORREST: This is all part
of a religious attempt

870
00:38:08,208 --> 00:38:09,375
to draw in water.

871
00:38:09,542 --> 00:38:11,292
As the team dates
the trophy heads,

872
00:38:11,417 --> 00:38:13,833
they feel more confident
about this theory,

873
00:38:13,917 --> 00:38:16,708
because, right when the major
drought hits the region

874
00:38:16,875 --> 00:38:19,875
the number of trophy heads
increases dramatically.

875
00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:23,417
They start doing this ritual
more and more in desperation.

876
00:38:24,542 --> 00:38:28,292
LAURENCE: In 2022,
a Polish research team finds

877
00:38:28,375 --> 00:38:31,333
further proof
to support this theory.

878
00:38:31,417 --> 00:38:33,167
FORREST:
This team tests hair samples

879
00:38:33,250 --> 00:38:34,542
from the Nazca trophy heads

880
00:38:34,708 --> 00:38:36,333
and finds that,
before their deaths,

881
00:38:36,458 --> 00:38:38,958
the victims ingested
San Pedro cactus,

882
00:38:39,083 --> 00:38:40,625
which contains mescaline.

883
00:38:40,750 --> 00:38:42,458
MICHAEL: Right before
the victims were killed

884
00:38:42,583 --> 00:38:44,875
or sacrificed,
as part of the ritual,

885
00:38:45,042 --> 00:38:47,625
they were given this
hallucinogen to prepare them.

886
00:38:48,542 --> 00:38:50,375
FORREST: You find images
of the San Pedro cactus

887
00:38:50,500 --> 00:38:52,667
everywhere in Nazca iconography.

888
00:38:52,792 --> 00:38:54,833
FORREST: This plant is clearly
important to their religion,

889
00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:56,542
and now we have proof
that it's involved

890
00:38:56,708 --> 00:38:58,792
in their rituals
of taking trophy heads.

891
00:38:59,708 --> 00:39:01,708
MICHAEL: The idea is
that the Nazca would gather

892
00:39:01,875 --> 00:39:05,167
at the Lines
in these ritual spaces.

893
00:39:05,333 --> 00:39:07,292
They would participate
in the rituals,

894
00:39:07,375 --> 00:39:09,458
ingest the hallucinogenic drug.

895
00:39:09,583 --> 00:39:11,750
This would put them
in a trance-like state

896
00:39:11,875 --> 00:39:14,667
and prepare them to engage
in the ritual battle.

897
00:39:14,792 --> 00:39:17,625
At the end of the battle,
the trophy heads would then be

898
00:39:17,708 --> 00:39:19,708
buried with the hopes
of inspiring

899
00:39:19,833 --> 00:39:21,792
the gods to bring water
to the area.

900
00:39:22,750 --> 00:39:24,875
LAURENCE: But this is far
from the final word

901
00:39:25,042 --> 00:39:27,750
on the Nazca Lines.

902
00:39:27,875 --> 00:39:30,625
FORREST: Maybe the Lines
were ritual battlefields,

903
00:39:30,750 --> 00:39:32,750
but I don't think
that's all they ever were.

904
00:39:32,875 --> 00:39:35,292
There's a good chance
they serve multiple functions.

905
00:39:35,375 --> 00:39:37,000
It's like roads today.

906
00:39:37,125 --> 00:39:39,500
Yes, they move people
from one place to another,

907
00:39:39,583 --> 00:39:41,417
but we also stage parades
down them.

908
00:39:41,542 --> 00:39:43,333
We block them off
for music festivals.

909
00:39:43,500 --> 00:39:46,042
We bury our water
pipes beneath them.

910
00:39:46,167 --> 00:39:49,458
This seems like a more logical
way to view the Nazca Lines.

911
00:39:49,542 --> 00:39:50,625
MICHAEL: Are we ever really
going to know

912
00:39:50,750 --> 00:39:52,500
what the Lines were used for?

913
00:39:52,625 --> 00:39:54,208
Probably not, and that's okay.

914
00:39:54,333 --> 00:39:55,625
That's what's exciting
about them.

915
00:39:55,750 --> 00:39:58,208
But one thing
we definitely know

916
00:39:58,333 --> 00:39:59,792
is the amazing feat
of engineering

917
00:39:59,875 --> 00:40:01,333
that these Lines represent.

918
00:40:01,417 --> 00:40:03,208
They were clearly
very, very important

919
00:40:03,375 --> 00:40:04,333
to the people of the time.

920
00:40:04,500 --> 00:40:05,958
They cared deeply about them,

921
00:40:06,083 --> 00:40:08,208
went to great lengths
to build them,

922
00:40:08,375 --> 00:40:12,667
and it is a real testament
to human ingenuity, creativity,

923
00:40:12,792 --> 00:40:15,625
and ability
to build amazing things.

924
00:40:17,875 --> 00:40:21,000
Despite their
2,000 year-old history,

925
00:40:21,083 --> 00:40:24,000
more Nazca Lines are
still being discovered.

926
00:40:24,167 --> 00:40:29,625
A never before seen cat figure
was found as recently as 2020.

927
00:40:29,750 --> 00:40:33,708
Perhaps new evidence can finally
reveal their true purpose.

928
00:40:33,833 --> 00:40:35,792
I'm Laurence Fishburne.

929
00:40:35,875 --> 00:40:39,250
Thank you for watching
"History's Greatest Mysteries."

930
00:40:39,375 --> 00:40:43,500
♪ ♪