Japanese Scientists Discovered 303 Geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert by Using AI. It’s a First Glimpse Into the Origin of These 2,000-Year-Old Creations

Thirty years ago, UNESCO declared the famous Nazca Lines a World Heritage Site. At that time, researchers had discovered just over 30 figures. However, they had no idea what they meant or the motives behind their creation. Until a few weeks ago, scientists had counted about 400 geoglyphs, but the latest discovery changed everything.

The news. By using drones and AI, a team led by archaeologist and anthropologist Masato Sakai of Yamagata University in Japan discovered an additional 303 geoglyphs in the last six months. Given the large number of figures already known, the discovery provides a new perspective on the function of the mysterious symbols. The team published its research in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

According to ScienceAlert, Masato explained that the purpose of these lines has been unknown until now. The reason was a lack of basic information on the distribution and types of geoglyphs. Now, thanks to field studies using AI and remote sensing, this team describes the distribution of the figures. “As a result, we were able to shed light on the purpose behind their creation,” the archaeologist said.

The history of the site. The Nazca lines are one of Peru’s two most famous archaeological sites. The ancient inhabitants created them between 100 B.C. and 300 B.C. by removing the superficial rocks from the ground and revealing the deeper soil layers. The contrast between the two geological layers draws these lines on the ground.

Unfortunately, this is all that experts know about these wonders created by ancient civilizations. Moreover, after nearly two millennia in the open, these lines aren't as visible as they might have been in the past.

The arrival of drones and AI. Technology has been a real revolution in learning more about these geoglyphs. First, the use of drones has been fundamental to the archaeologists’ work in finding these figures. Having these types of vehicles has been decisive in the discoveries.

Second, the role of AI. In 2019, researchers announced the discovery of 143 geoglyphs. It was a milestone, as the team responsible explained that they had successfully used the IBM PAIRS Geoscope tool to discover one of the figures. This AI system was also instrumental in the latest study.

The new study. Masato and colleagues partnered with IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center to develop an algorithm to identify faint geoglyphs in the debris of the Nazca Pampa from drone imagery. Of the 303 new figures, the AI suggested 178, demonstrating the tool’s power to support human-led research efforts.

As they explain, these new geoglyphs belong to the relief-type category. They’re smaller and more challenging to identify than the larger line-type figures, making the discovery particularly intriguing. Of the 430 glyphs previously found, 380 were relief glyphs, and 50 were line glyphs.

The purpose of the geoglyphs. What do they mean? That’s the question researchers have been asking since they discovered the first Nazca lines. According to the work of researchers in Japan, the purpose of these figures is sacred. The first settlers created them as part of a pilgrimage to Cahuachi, the ceremonial center of the Nazca culture, which overlooks some of the glyphs from the top of the mounds.

As Masato told ScienceAlert, “In the case of relief-type geoglyphs, you can see them if you walk along the trails. Therefore, I believe that the trails were created so that people could see the relief-type geoglyphs while walking along them. On the other hand, in the case of line-type geoglyphs, they are concentrated around the starting and ending points of the network of linear geoglyphs. This network is connected to ceremonial centers Cahuachi and sacred places, so I believe that people walked along the network.”

Why Cahuachi? Apparently, this was a place where people made pilgrimages. They may have traveled to the adobe architectural complex for meetings and ceremonies. However, scientists still don’t understand how pilgrims used the site and why it was special.

Masato and his team hope to find more clues in the geoglyphs. There are now more than 700 of them. “In the ancient Andean civilization, socially important information was sometimes conveyed through combinations and arrangements of pictures. I believe that information was inscribed on the Nazca Pampa through the arrangement and combination of geoglyphs,” he concluded.

Images | PNAS

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