A brief analysis of Nazca culture in the Americas
From 100 BC to 800 AD, Nazca lived near the arid southern coast of Peru.
Early Nazca society consisted of local chiefdoms and regional centers of power centered on kavachi, a non-urban ceremonial site consisting of earthwork mounds and squares.
Located in the lower part of the Nazca Valley, these pyramid-like structures and squares were important sites for fertility and agricultural ceremonies.
People from all over the Nazca region are likely to gather in Kavac for feasts and offerings at specific times of the year.
Nazca developed underground aqueducts called Pukios to sustain cities and agriculture in this arid climate.
Many of these are still in operation today.
They also created intricate textiles and ceramics that reflected their agricultural and sacrificial traditions.
Society and religion
The religious beliefs of Nazca may be related to the arid and extreme nature of the environment, which is based on agriculture and fertility.
Many Nazca art depicts powerful nature gods such as mythical killer whales, reapers, mythical spotted cats, hummingbirds, and serpentine entities.
As with the contemporary Moche culture of northwestern Peru, shamans apparently used hallucinogenic drugs, such as extracts from the San Pedro cactus, to induce hallucinations during rituals.
Nazca lines
The geographical symbol of Nazca, or "Nazca Lines," is a series of geometric shapes, stretching lines that stretch for miles, and large animal figures (some the size of a football field) drawn on the desert floor of the Nazca region.
A lot of people can build these lines for a long time.
Researchers have shown techniques to explore how to do this.
By pulling a rope between the two pillars and removing the red pebbles from the desert surface along the rope, the line can be built.
The red desert pebbles contrast with the lighter dirt below, and the lines are visible from above.
Because the structure of the geopainting is too simple, regular rainfall can easily erode the drawing, but the dry desert environment has allowed these lines to be preserved for hundreds of years.
Several theories have been put forward as to why the Nazca Line exists, but the true meaning of geographical symbols remains a mystery.
Agriculture and diet
Nazca's survival is largely based on agriculture. Images on ceramics and unearthed remains indicate that the Nazca people had a varied diet, including:
corn
sweet potato
bean
Cassava (also known as yuca)
Azhila
A small amount of fish
peanut
They also grow several non-food crops, such as cotton, coca, San Pedro cactus, and gourds for textiles. The latter is decorated to illustrate activities in everyday life.
The presence of coca is evident in pottery and works of art.
The leaves of this plant can act as a stimulant to suppress hunger, pain, thirst, and fatigue after being chewed.
The hallucinogenic San Pedro cactus also appears on several colored jars and bowls, demonstrating its ritual significance.
In terms of animal resources, the Nazca sacrificed llamas and guinea pigs in Kavachi. Llamas are also often used as pack animals for wool and meat sources.
Drilling and skull surgery
Drilling is a primitive skull surgery used by the Nazca to relieve pressure on the brain from war wounds or for ritual purposes.
It requires one or more bones to be removed from the skull while the person is still alive.
Through the analysis of the excavated skull, evidence of drilling can be seen. Some of the skulls showed signs of healing, proving that some of those who underwent surgery survived.
Elongated skulls due to skull manipulation were also seen during cavage excavations.
This effect is achieved by tying a cushion to the baby's forehead and a wooden board to the back of the head.
Archaeologists can only speculate about why certain skulls were treated this way.
Some theories suggest that skull manipulation creates a racial identity that molds individuals into a social being, or may account for social status.
The fall of Nazca
Like the Moche people, who lived on Peru's arid northern coast during the same period, it is thought that Nazca may have been forced into decline due to environmental changes.
This is thought to have occurred at a time when El Niño triggered widespread and destructive floods that caused civilization to become unstable in 750 AD.
Evidence also suggests that the Nazca may have exacerbated the effects of these floods by gradually cutting down carob trees to make room for corn and cotton farming.
These trees play an extremely important role as the ecological cornerstone of the landscape, especially against river and wind erosion.
Gradual felling of trees exposes landscapes to climatic disturbances such as El Niño, leading to erosion and drying out high up irrigation systems.
conclusion
Early Nazca society consisted of local chiefdoms and regional centers of power centered on the site of the Kavachi ceremony.
Although Nazca is dead, their legacy lives on in stunning geographical indications that are still etched into the landscape.
In 1994, the 500 square kilometers containing the lines was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the conservation and conservation of these incredible drawings continues to this day.
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