By Derek Olson
Ancient zoomorphic geoglyphs near Nazca, Peru have been discovered that are dated to be as old as 200 B.C. Using artificial intelligence, archaeologists have discovered hundreds of new geoglyphs depicting parrots, cats, monkeys, killer whales and even decapitated heads near the Nazca Lines. This discovery almost doubles the number of known geoglyphs of the region.
A team from the Japanese University of Yamagata’s Nazca Institute made the fascinating discovery. The new figures provide a new understanding of the transition from the Paracas culture to the later Nazca culture, who created the iconic hummingbird, monkey and whale figures that make up part of the Unesco World Heritage site.
The use of AI combined with low-flying drones has revolutionized the speed and rate at which the geoglyphs were discovered. The AI model efficiently spotted many of the smaller relief-type geoglyphs which were harder to see with the naked eye. It was also able to analize vast quantities of geospatial data generated by drones to identify areas where more geoglyphs might be found.
Johny Isla, Peru’s chief archaeologist for the Nazca Lines, said the use of drones and AI represented a quantum leap for archaeological study in the area. “With a drone, you can cover several kilometers in a day,” he said by phone from Nazca. “What used to take three or four years, can now be done in two or three days.”
Click below to watch my new video episode breaking down all the details of this new discovery
Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/26/nazca-lines-peru-new-geoglyphs#img-1
megalithicmarvels.com 