The Ancient Peruvian Mystery Solved From Space [Nazca puquios]

BBC ^ | April 8, 2016 | William Park

[SunkenCiv]

In one of the most arid regions in the world a series of carefully constructed, spiralling holes form lines across the landscape. Known as puquios, their origin has been a puzzle -- one that could only be solved from space.

The holes are from the Nasca region of Peru -- an area famous for the Nasca lines, several enormous geometric images carved into the landscape; immaculate archaeological evidence of ceremonial burials; and the rapid decline of this once flourishing society.

What adds to the intrigue in the native ancient people of Nasca is how they were able to survive in an area where droughts can last for years at a time.

The puquios were a "sophisticated hydraulic system constructed to retrieve water from underground aquifers," says Rosa Lasaponara of the Institute of Methodologies for Environmental Analysis, in Italy. And they transformed this inhospitable region.

Lasaponara and her team studied the puquios using satellite imaging. From this, the team were able to better understand how the puquios were distributed across the Nasca region, and where they ran in relation to nearby settlements -- which are easier to date...

Their existence tells us something remarkable about the people who lived in the Nasca region from before 1,000 BC to AD750. "The construction of the puquios involved the use of particularly specialised technology," says Lasaponara. Not only did the builders of the puquios need a deep understanding of the geology of the area and annual variations in water availability, maintaining the canals was a technical challenge as they spread across tectonic faults.

[Redcitizen]

Nazca lines translated- “ we just messin wit ya bout dem aliens.”

[SunkenCiv]

;’)

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks! D/Ling the file as we, uh, speak.

[Little Bill]

If you read Herodotus you will find that the Persians found the digging a ditch that was not close to the Natural Angle of Inclination, 60 Degrees, led to the sides falling in.

Next time you cross a steel bridge ponder on the Triangles in the side members. The triangle is among the most stable objects on earth. All a pyramid is, is a three dimensional triangle. For epic fails look at the bent pyramid.