Nazca is one of
the most famous archaeological sites in South America. It is located on the
coastal plain of southern Peru, from Chincha to Acari valleys.
At first, Nazca people lived in "oases," terraced hillsides suitable for the construction of irrigation systems. People also used the source of the Nazca River. Then agriculture flourished in this former dry lands. The capital of Nazca, Cahuachi, was 31 miles inland on the south bank of the Nazca River. This place was also farmland, but it became the sacred place and the ceremonial center, because of the natural springs. In this sacred place, people got together to honor their ancestors at a certain time of the year. Some mounds, shrines, at least six pyramids and courts were constructed. Several buildings had walls made of small conical and loaf-shaped adobes. Houses were built by canes bound together and covered with mud.
Nazca art impresses the masked ritual performances and the rituals are associated with rain, water, and fertility. Human heads were also regarded as valuable trophies. The burial tradition was practiced at Cahuachi. Huddled bodies, some wrapped in cloth, were buried in circular pits or in great deep adobelined tombs, both generally roofed with logs. Cahuachi was the big cemetery and the place for votive offerings.
These rituals and religious
practices are also reflected in the famous feature in Nazca, Nazca lines. The
several lines reflect the wishes of Nazca people to get water and fertility of
the land. Many anthropologists, archaeologists and astronomers still argue
about the usage of the mysterious Nazca lines.
Scarre, Christopher. Ancient Civilizations:
New York, Longman, 1997.
Buchell, G.H.S. Ancient Peoples and Places
Peru: New York, Frederick A .Praeger, 1957.