Ancient Civilization Cut Path to Demise (Nasca, S. America)

Live Science ^ | Nov 2, 2009 | Staff

[decimon]

The ancient South American Nasca civilization may have caused its own demise by clear-cutting huge swaths of forest, a new study has found.

The civilization disappeared mysteriously around 1,500 years ago, after apparently prospering during the first half of the first millennium A.D. in the valleys of south coastal Peru. Scientists have previously suggested a massive El Niño event disrupted the climate and caused the Nasca's demise, but new research suggests that deforestation may have also played an important role.

The Nasca are best known for leaving behind large geoglyphs called Nazca lines carved into the surface of the vast, empty desert plain that lies between the Peruvian towns of Nazca and Palpa. Though the lines have spawned many interpretations, including the suggestion that they were created by aliens, most scholars now think they were sacred pathways that Nasca people followed during their ancient rituals.

[decimon]

No, not NASCAR.

[decimon]

Huarango do ping.

[parsifal]

Maybe they cut them down because they couldn’t see the lines for the trees.

parsy, who notes artists do stupid things sometimes

[Michael.SF.]

The Nazca people lived there for over 800 years. What all of a sudden made them destroy that which they depended on?

Reminds me of an old joke: Man applies for a job as a lumberjack and is asked about his experience.

"I worked the Sahara Forest for five years."

"The Sahara Forest???????????? The Sahara is a desert, there are no trees there!"

Sure......... now.

[SunkenCiv]

There was something in the air that night, Huarango. ;') Thanks decimon.

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[SunkenCiv]

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	Gods Graves Glyphs	Thanks decimon. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother, and Ernest_at_the_Beach
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[SunkenCiv]

Of course, there’s absolutely no agenda at work in this scientific study... ;’)

[Fred Nerks]

lots of water happened...