A team of researchers from Yamagata University in Japan announced that, in December, they found 168 new drawings, known as geoglyphs, at the Nazca Lines World Heritage Site, in the Nazca Desert, in Peruand the surrounding areas.
Professor of cultural anthropology and Andean archeology Masato Sakai used drones and other methods to discover the new signs, according to Japanese newspaper Mainichi. Newly discovered characters represent humans along with orcas, birds, and snakes, as well as camels and cats. The work was carried out in partnership with local archaeologists between June 2019 and February 2020.
The study also relied on information collected by modern equipment that uses lasers to scan a specific area. Thus, it was possible to locate 168 figures engraved on the ground. The lines date back to between 100 BC and 300 years ago.
Yamagata University has been studying the Nazca Lines since 2004. In 2012, it intensified its academic research by establishing the Yamagata University Nazca Institute in the Peruvian desert. Previous studies conducted by the group through 2018 revealed another 190 numbers, with a total of 358 discoveries.
The scientists are currently working with IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center to use artificial intelligence to study the distribution of numbers. The team will take advantage of the data gathered from the latest discoveries and hope to make progress in solving the mysteries of the Nazca Lines.
In a press conference on December 8, Sakai expressed hope that the latest discovery would help achieve this goal: “If we can confirm a pattern in the distribution of numbers, perhaps we will be able to understand the intentions behind their creation. This is a step towards understanding for what purpose they were created.”
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