Hundreds more ancient Nazca lines discovered in Peru thanks to AI

The remote desert of southern Peru’s Nazca region continues to yield archaeological surprises as researchers discover hundreds of new geoglyphs using cutting-edge drone and AI technology.

Historical context: The Nazca Lines, an ancient network of ground drawings visible only from above, were first discovered in the 1920s and created by a pre-Incan civilization between 200 B.C. and 700 A.D.

• The markings appear as simple furrows from ground level but transform into intricate designs when viewed from the air
• Designs include geometric shapes like trapezoids and spirals, as well as stylized animals such as hummingbirds, spiders, and a cat with a fish tail
• Some lines stretch continuously for over 15 miles, maintaining perfect straightness despite challenging terrain

Breakthrough discovery: A team led by archaeologist Masato Sakai from Japan’s Yamagata University has identified 303 previously unknown geoglyphs, nearly doubling the known total in just six months.

• The research team combined AI analysis with low-altitude drone surveys to examine approximately 243 square miles of desert terrain
• Prior to this discovery, it had taken almost 100 years to document 430 figurative geoglyphs in the region
• The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in September 2024

Technological innovation: The successful marriage of drone technology and artificial intelligence has dramatically accelerated the pace of archaeological discovery in the Nazca region.

• Low-flying drones provided detailed aerial imagery that would have been impossible to capture through traditional survey methods
• AI analysis helped researchers identify patterns and formations that might have been missed by human observers
• This technological approach has proven particularly effective in studying the vast scale of the Nazca Lines, which cover hundreds of square miles

Future implications: The rapid identification of these new geoglyphs suggests that many more ancient designs may still await discovery in Peru’s coastal desert, with modern technology providing the key to unlocking these archaeological treasures.