All language subtitles for Earth Signs from Above Series 1 3of3 The Enigma of Geoglyphs 810p

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> In many places on our
planet, men and women have left

mysterious traces behind them.

These are geoglyphs,
designs left

on hillsides or the ground
made by the hand of man.

Most of these designs have
been erased by passing time,

but some have passed
through history to reach us.

It's a miracle that we can
still admire some of them.

While no one knows the
name of their creators,

all the geoglyphs are shrouded
in mystery and legend.

What was it that led people to
conceive these enormous shapes

and to leave a message
in the ground which would

last throughout the millennia?

>> We know that gods and
goddesses were very important

way back in the past.

>> Really, making shapes,
carving them into the ground,

that's not too difficult.
On the other hand,

planning on such a big scale,
that's impressive work.

>> The Nazca civilization, which
is mainly known for its lines,

didn't just produce that.

>> He's iconic.

He's unique.

He attracts a lot of interest.

And he generates a
lot of storytelling.

>> It's an enigmatic shape.

No one knows when it
dates from or who made it.

>> We can't be sure why it
was made in the first place.

So these things are
mysterious fundamentally.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> We will go to England, where
many geoglyphs can be found.

We will also visit South
America, in the Atacama Desert,

where different peoples at
different moments in history

have left these mysterious
designs in the ground.

Let us begin with the most
enigmatic, the Nazca Lines.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Every year,
thousands of tourists

cross the Atacama Desert
in Peru to come face

to face with one of the
greatest mysteries of humanity's

history.

Of all the geoglyphs
in the world,

the Nazca Lines are
certainly the most famous.

However, upon arrival,
there is just a desert

plain to be found, a
jumble of stones and dust

with nothing at all
growing and no sign

of any archaeological treasure.

Only by getting
up onto a platform

can a small part of the
puzzle here be seen.

Two figures are visible,
a tree and a hand.

As well, there are
long straight lines

stretching out
towards the horizon.

But to fully
comprehend the beauty

of the geoglyphs of Nazca,
they must be seen from above.

Since the only way to see the
lines properly is from a plane,

flights are in great demand.

Nazca Airport is the
second biggest in Peru.

>> The lines can be
seen from raised ground,

but in my opinion the clearest
view of the lines is surely

to see them from a plane.

From the sky, you can best see
the true shapes of the lines.

>> We came from Korea.

Now, after waiting
for 45 minutes,

we'll be able to see
the lines from a plane.

>> I've seen so many
reports on this and photos.

There's a lot of
mystery surrounding

this, where it came from, who
made it, how they made it.

>> Since no one can explain
scientifically what they are,

what they mean, or
why they were made,

we've come here ourselves to
get an idea of what these lines

represent.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> But a sandstorm
rises over the town.

All flights are canceled.

Our pilot, Eduardo
Herran, offers

to take us as close as
possible to the lines.

Eduardo isn't just a pilot.

He's fascinated by
the Nazca Lines.

Aboard his microlight plane,
he has discovered hundreds.

He takes us to the edge of town.

This is where El Tela, the
weaving loom, is to be found.

It's one of the rare geoglyphs
that can be closely approached,

and which allows
us to understand

how these lines were traced.

>> In reality, it's very simple.

The stones are pushed to the
sides and the center is swept.

This means that a layer which
has more white clay in it

stands out against
the dark surface.

This is how the lines were made.

It's really not
very complicated.

>> Most of the lines could have
been made with simple tools

such as stakes of
wood and ropes.

But their precision proves
that the Nazca civilization

understood mathematics.

Many people, like
Eduardo, are convinced

that the Nazcas had some way
of getting up high so they

could check their work.

>> From the ground, they're
not easy to make out.

And what we can see from
here is rather shapeless.

But the further up
in the sky you are,

the easier it is to see
what these people were

trying to say to us.

So if you ask me whether the
ancient people could fly,

I would say yes.

I think they used kites made
from canvas and feathers

to look at their work.

>> Another of the mysteries
of the Nazca Lines is

their incredible longevity.

They can still be
seen after 2,000 years

without anyone
looking after them.

The first reason for
that is geographic.

The lines are in the most
arid desert on the planet,

where it never rains and
where vegetation is rare.

The absence of humidity means
there is very little erosion.

But sandstorms can also
play a part in this.

>> All the surface dust is
pulled off as if the lines were

being swept.

So after one of
these storms, I like

to fly my microlight
because it's possible

that the winds have
made new marks visible.

I think the ancient people knew
about this effect of the wind

and used it as a maintenance
system to keep the lines clear.

>> Next morning, the
sandstorm has died down.

Flights progressively
start again at the airport.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

After a few minutes flying,
the great straight lines

are the first that we can see.

They seem to stretch
out for kilometers.

Smaller designs can also
be seen, some of which

represent animals.

The monkey, the spider,
and the hummingbird

are only some of the
hundreds of geoglyphs

to be found on the plain.

Anyone flying over these lines
is struck by these questions.

Who made this?

Why?

How can these marks be
so precise, so straight?

And what was the meaning
of these symbols?

Why did this tradition of line
tracing last over 1,000 years?

And everyone at Nazca
has their own explanation

of the lines' origin.

The straight lines
could have been

sacred ways where gatherings
or sacrifices took place.

Other people think
the lines were part

of a cult of mountain worship.

The zaniest explanation
comes from a writer coming up

with the idea that
the lines could

have been used as a landing
field by extraterrestrials.

This hypothesis is reinforced
by a mysterious design

on a mountainside which
could be an alien or a man

with the head of an owl.

>> What we can see here is
a model of the plane with

the lines.

This is only the commercialized
part of the area,

so to speak, where all
the flights are made.

Here you can find the monkey,
the dog, and the hummingbird.

But this just represents
10% of the lines.

We are confronted here
by a monumental document.

>> To better understand
the Nazca Lines,

we can try to tour around the
other geoglyphs on the planet.

While the Nazca Lines
are the most famous,

they're not the only geoglyphs.

Others are to be
found in England,

where dozens of what are called
Hill Figures can be found.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The Wilmington Long Man
is at least 300 years old.

Neither its makers nor
the motives for its making

are known.

The figure was forgotten, then
rediscovered one fine day.

>> Up until the 19th century,
it had become grown over.

And there was a
woman living there

who noticed one day
when it had snowed

that the snow was melting to
reveal the image of a man,

of a figure.

Just because the snow was
melting slightly differently

in the channels.

And so this figure
came out of the snow,

and that's how it
was discovered.

>> Philip Carr-Gomm is a druid.

His relationship with the
giant began 20 years ago.

When one of his friends died, he
undertook a pilgrimage on foot

which ended at the
Wilmington Long Man.

>> The reason why you have these
figures in this particular part

of Britain is because the
topsoil is quite thin.

And so you have the
white chalk, and then you

have a thin layer of soil.

So it's very easy to cut down
with a spade and cut it out,

and then you can
see the white chalk.

>> At one time, the chalk
could no longer be seen.

The marks were
therefore replaced

with cement painted white.

Despite these
restorations, the Long Man

remains a special place
for the region's druids.

>> In druidism, we treat
all of the Earth as sacred.

And there are also
special spots that

seem to be especially
sacred or very important.

And this is one such spot.

Eight times a year,
our local druid group

has a big festivity here.

Eight times a year.

The solstices, the
equinoxes, and so on.

If you were in
Wiltshire, if we were

in another part of England, we
would meet at a stone circle.

But here, we don't
have a stone circle.

Instead we meet here.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> Many legends
surround the giant.

Is it a lover sitting to
mourn the loss of his beloved?

A giant wounded by a stone
thrown by another giant?

Difficult to know
who made it and why.

But beyond the legends
that the design inspires,

Philip Carr-Gomm thinks that
the main thing is the effect

it has on people now.

>> And so it's a human figure.

And because it's
merely the outline,

it somehow symbolizes
every man, every woman.

And onto this very simple image,
we can project all our feelings

and our thoughts about humanity
and what it means to be human.

I think it's important
to find places for you

to go when either something
difficult has happened

in your life, or perhaps you
just need time on your own.

Life has become a little
stressful or difficult.

[DRUM MUSIC]

>> Geoglyphs can still play
a spiritual role for mankind.

And in Chile, people are
fighting to protect this

ancient cult. On the
Cerro Unitas Hill,

an 86 meter-long figure
has been contemplating

the plain for centuries.

The Atacama Giant was
made before the arrival

of the Spanish, between
the year 1,000 and 1,400.

The figure is the work
of the Aymara people,

and represents a Puma man.

>> The Atacama giant is
a very important place

for communication
with the cosmos.

It's a convergence point
for positive energy.

>> The Atacama Giant isn't the
only geoglyph on this hill.

There are also mysterious
circles, a feline design,

and human figures.

As at Nazca, the geoglyphs
have been drawn simply

by moving stones and have
lasted through time thanks

to the special
climate of the desert.

The Aymaran culture
behind these figures

is a people of 22 million spread
out over Chile, Peru, Bolivia,

and Argentina.

The Aymaran culture has a
deep respect for nature,

especially Mother
Earth, Pachamama.

Javier Vilca is fighting to
save and transmit this culture.

>> A long time ago, our
ancestors surely made offerings

to nature in this place to
bring rain, to demand plenty,

to calm the storms,
lessen the earthquakes,

surely because our
culture is integrated,

convivial and harmonious,
and respectful of nature.

>> For centuries there was
open access to the Giant,

and it was possible to
walk upon the lines.

But tourism and the
irresponsible behavior of some

menaced its protection.

For some years now, access
has been prohibited.

>> We can't go up on the hill.

I'd like to go up there
and see what's there.

At this distance, we can only
see that there's something.

But what is it?

I'd like to see to define
that more precisely.

It should be what we call a
sacred table, a place where you

can pray and give offerings.

But, well, the day will come
when we see these places return

to the indigenous people, the
true heirs of this culture.

>> After the arrival
of the Spanish,

different political regimes
tried to break up the Aymaran

culture.

Javier Vilca battles
daily to transmit

the knowledge of that
culture to new generations,

but it is difficult to
communicate and conserve

these traditions.

It's a different
view of the world

which has to be taught
anew to the youngest.

>> Our ancestors made their
offerings before going fishing

to the water god, [SPANISH].

They went to sea and
brought back their catch.

Why Because they had
implored their god

and the sea for its blessing.

The sea is an important
source of nutrition.

It feeds us.

It's something tremendous.

And because of that,
it must be loved.

It must be preserved, because
the sea brings benefits

to every one of us.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> Javier Vilca regrets that the
elements which would allow us

to decode the geoglyphs
have been lost over time.

He goes to the
Cerro Pintados site,

a few kilometers away
from the Atacama Giant.

Here, the whole
side of the mountain

is covered with geoglyphs.

>> There was an important
route which went from Altiplano

to the sea and passed by here.

We don't know since
when, but we do

know it has been here for
several thousand years.

We can't decode all
of this precisely

because our wise
men, the [SPANISH],,

are no longer with us.

They left when the
conquistadors arrived.

So amongst all the signs that
are here, there are only four

we can easily recognize and that
we still use in our weaving.

Like the water king, which
is represented by the toad.

We can also recognize the
marriage symbol, these two

little doves, which allow us
to see clearly which is the man

and which is the woman.

Then we have the llama, which
is a very important animal, part

of life for indigenous
Aymaran society.

There is also the sign
we call [SPANISH],, which

is a symbol we recognize and
preserve because it represents

the direction of life.

>> Geoglyphs still hold a
place in various beliefs.

Cults that are still dedicated
to them by some people

give us an idea
of the link there

could have been in the
past between the geoglyphs

and their makers.

The cults devoted
to the Nazca Lines

couldn't have been that
different to those still

existing today in
England and Chile,

but this knowledge has
been lost over time.

The Nazca Lines were only
rediscovered in 1924,

when planes began to
fly over South America.

But after 100 years of research,
their exact significance

remains an enigma.

The explanations given remain
for the moment just theories.

Like the lines, there
are a lot of theories.

It was a woman,
Maria Reiche, who

began to really
study the geoglyphs

in a scientific fashion.

In the 1940s, this
enthusiast devoted her life

to studying and
protecting the site.

Without her work
and obstination,

the lines would probably
have been destroyed.

After many years of study, Maria
Reiche ended up with a theory

that the lines are a
sort of star calendar,

and their orientation
is linked to the stars.

Maria Reiche discovered
that some of the lines

pointed to the solstice,
like those which crossed

the design of the spider.

So are the Nazca Lines
an immense calendar

drawn on the ground?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Several hundred kilometers from
there on the Pacific coast,

another geoglyph
can perhaps help

us to understand the
mystery of the Nazca Lines.

The Candelabro de Paracas
is now in the heart

of a national park.

Land access is
impossible, and you

have to get there by boat
as thousands of tourists

do each year.

[BOAT ENGINE]

>> Juan Carlos Heaton, the
director of the reserve,

takes us to see the
famous Candelabra .

>> Many research
workers have come here.

One of them was Maria Reiche,
who was Peruvian and German.

She undertook astronomical
and mathematical research

on the lines and
shapes of Nazca.

She tried to make a
connection between the symbols

and an astronomical calendar
for the civilizations that

lived here.

In that context,
this figure is also

associated with
the Nazca culture.

The Candelabra has a lot to do
with astronomy and the Nazca

Lines, a theory which other
scientists have confirmed.

>> The Candelabra has all
the qualities of a compass.

>> This could be the
Southern Cross seen by day.

It has the same
direction with the top

of the Candelabra
showing the south,

and the base
signifying the north.

It resembles the
Southern Cross exactly,

according to Maria Reiche.

So this design could
serve as a reference

for daytime navigation.

We could also say that
this design functions

in the same way as a marker.

>> This simple trace in the
ground is actually visible out

at sea to a distance
of 20 kilometers,

but it's impossible to
know whether it was made

by navigators of antiquity
or by 17th century pirates.

>> We don't know its exact date.

Scientists can't tell if it
is 10,000 or 500 years old.

But we do know that
the pre-Incan ancestors

of Peruvians, as well
as the Incas themselves,

were very good navigators.

The whole coast of
Peru and South America

was known to the
Peruvians of antiquity.

>> The idea that Nazca is
an astronomical calendar is

attractive, but the great
majority of lines don't point

to any star or constellation.

Since the geoglyphs are
often visible from far off,

they've often been thought
of as a kind of sign post,

and not only in the desert.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

English geoglyphs are
mostly white horses.

There are nearly 20
across the country.

Amongst the oldest is the
Uffington White Horse.

It must be the first
in this long tradition,

as it dates from between 1,400
and 1,600 years before our era,

towards the end
of the Bronze Age.

There are several mysteries
associated with the White

Horse, and there
are many theories

as to its significance.

Harriet Vered is a historian.

She knows the White Horse well.

In her opinion, it is above
all a geographical marker.

>> We're talking about
preliterate people who had no

maps, no GPS, no
navigational equipment.

This is the veil
of the White Horse.

And of course,
from down there you

actually get the best
view of the White Horse

because the White Horse
isn't really supposed

to be viewed from close.

>> The horse can in fact be
seen from the whole valley.

It has impressive dimensions,
over 100 meters long

and 35 meters high.

The white chalk stands
out so as to make

the design visible from afar.

>> Every now and then,
let's say every 10 miles,

something like that, that
would be a day's journey,

if you've got flocks of
animals for instance.

So you would want junctions.

You would want
sign posts saying,

this is where you can stop
off and rest, and probably

pay for it too.

But you would have to
have somewhere for people

and animals to stay overnight.

So it must've been a sign post.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> The horse is such a good
reference point that it had

to be covered up during
the Second World War.

It was too easy to recognize
for enemy aircraft.

And there is a second hypothesis
about what it represents.

>> Actually, it's
probably not a horse.

It's probably a dragon.

They didn't call it polaris.

They called it draconus.

Draconus meaning dragon.

So we think that from a
navigational point of view,

the dragon was a very
important symbol.

And this is why
we think that it's

a dragon rather than a horse.

>> Andy Foley is
the site's curator.

He knows the legend well, and
what happened to the dragon

with the arrival
of Christianity.

>> Saint George and the
dragon had a fight on here.

George won.

He killed the dragon.

The blood came forth, and
was so poisonous that it

burnt the grass down here, and
that's why we have this mark.

Nothing grows there because
of the dragon's blood, OK?

>> Whether the figure is
of a horse or a dragon,

its design is striking, very
refined, and very modern.

>> The horse is, as
you say, very stylized.

It's, as I say,
110 meters long as

if it's always running
across these high hills

up here that we have.

This was done in the Bronze
Age or the Iron Age, 800 BC,

a long time ago.

But the people then were very
artistic, very stylistic.

So yes, they could draw
wonderful things like this.

They could make wonderful
rings and jewelry.

So they're very stylistic.

But they could be very
barbaric as well because

in the hill fort behind
us, we found skeletons

with the arms and the legs
and the head all chopped off.

So they could be beautiful
stylistic but also barbaric.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> Geoglyphs are mysterious
and have given rise to many

legends.

But it is always difficult
to find the truth

amongst the different
conflicting theories.

While some seem to
have been reference

points for past travelers,
this explanation

doesn't fit the Nazca
Lines, which are

hard to see from the ground.

However, archaeologists
are interested

by the special relation of the
Nazca civilization with water.

One theory links the
lines to irrigation.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Alex from the
Ministry of Culture

takes us to visit the
Cantalloc aqueducts.

>> The ancient Nazca were
great hydraulic engineers.

They built irrigation
channels, one

of them being the aqueducts of
Cantalloc which is still in use

today.

>> The Nazca civilization was
in the middle of the desert.

The balance with
nature was precarious,

and finding water
was a daily worry.

Droughts and climate variations
brought about catastrophes

and famines for the population.

The Nazca did everything they
could so as not to depend

on rare rainfalls.

Especially, they built
complex irrigation systems.

Mastering irrigation allowed
the Nazca civilization

to develop agriculture
and to have

an impressively large population
for such a desert environment.

Thanks to this, thousands of
people lived around the city.

Their wells, still visible,
are incredible constructions

as much for their design as
for their way of working.

>> It has a spiral shape
which makes access easier,

which is very useful
for periodic cleaning

as the villagers have to
work to keep the water clear.

When the earth moves, as it does
in earthquakes, for example,

then there are
stones that collapse

and there are branches
which block the passages.

>> The spiral shape not only
means that the underground

channels can be maintained, but
also mean that a lot of people

can get into work
at the same time.

According to the partisans
of the water theory,

some of the marks on the plain
follow the underground network.

Others mark out
groundwater sites.

Cults would move around on
these lines calling for rain,

and leaving offerings to ask
for more favorable climate.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

But once again, a
recent study shows

that most of the signs and
marks are not linked to water.

While water was vital
to the Nazca culture,

it was not the main reason
for the creation of the lines.

It's incredibly complicated to
try and explain the geoglyphs.

The marks have remained, but
the memory of their creators

has faded.

In the absence of reliable
archaeological data,

it's difficult to
resolve their mysteries.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

The little village of
Cerne Abbas in England

also has a chalk geoglyph,
a giant of 55 meters by 50,

representing a naked
man armed with a club.

To distinguish between
different theories,

here an original
method was tested.

For years, it was
thought that this figure

dated from pre-history.

But 30 years ago,
it was realized

that there was no indication
of its existence before 1694.

>> Yes.

The first reference we
have to the Stone Giant

is in the church warden's
accounts for 1694,

which was discovered by Vivian
Vale here actually in Cerne

Abbas.

"For repairing the
giant, three shillings."

>> The absence of
historical records aroused

Katherine's curiosity.

She was then working at the
University of Bournemouth.

Katherine decided to
organize a public trial

where different
specialists could

come to defend their opinions
about the giant's origins.

Two main hypotheses stood out.

>> The figure looks prehistoric,
and so it could belong

to the [INAUDIBLE]
pre-Roman period,

as an ancient Celtic warrior
god waving his club around.

But it has been suggested by one
or two authorities that in fact

it was cut out on the
orders of Denzil Holles,

who was lone [? overson
? ] estate in the 1640s,

'50s, during the
English Civil War.

And Denzil Holles started off as
being much pro Oliver Cromwell,

led the revolution
against the king.

He saw the slaughter
and the hatred

and the damage and
changed sides and decided

to support the king.

When he finally
returned home in 1654,

he had commissioned, he
had cut on the hillside

this satirical image
of Oliver Cromwell,

because Oliver Cromwell
was known to his supporters

in the form of the
pagan god Hercules,

the god of great strength.

So in that sense, it's
a political lampoon.

>> After the debates, a vote was
held to decide on the favorite

theory.

The score was close
between the two theories.

While some continue to
believe the giant is

several thousand
years old, the theory

of a gigantic satirical drawing
seemed credible to many people.

In England, this design
has passed into posterity

for another reason.

This is surely because
of the impressive size

of a certain portion
of his anatomy.

>> Well, the giant, of course,
is a powerful image of male

fertility, of male strength.

Virility, I think,
is the right word.

And therefore one
does understand

that sometimes courting couples
or women who have difficulty

in conceiving come to
spend time at the giant,

and they may be fortunate.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> The Cerne Abbas Giant, a
powerful image which a lot

of adverts have used
to sell their brand.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> There are a
good many of those.

Here's another one.

Here he is.

As an image, he's used quite
a lot in all sorts of ways.

As I say, he's said to be the
only pornographic material

which is accepted
by the post office,

indeed by the
tourist authorities.

So yes, he's used quite often
for this type of context.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

>> The giant is a
geoglyph with many faces,

a satirical and
political design,

making prayers come true,
being an advertising mascot.

Is it possible that
the Nazca Lines also

had multiple functions for
the region's inhabitants?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

In the 1980s, a major
discovery reshuffled the deck

and opened up new perspectives.

The Citadel of Cahuachi.

What can be seen today is just
a tiny part of a vast complex.

Soledad from the Archaeological
Service takes us there.

>> Excavations at
Cahuachi began in 1982.

But the entire
surface was buried.

Now we presume that just 5%
of the total archaeological

complex has been
brought to light.

So of course, there's a lot
more to dig up and discover.

>> Since they lack the means,
archaeologists are advancing

very slowly at the site.

But its purpose can
already be determined.

Cahuachi isn't a citadel as was
thought when it was discovered.

It was a religious center
which had incredible importance

in its time.

It stretched over
24 square kilometers

and welcomed thousands
of pilgrims each year.

At the time, it
was the equivalent

of Mecca or the Vatican.

>> There's a relationship
between the lines

and the citadel.

The geoglyphs are found in
front of the most important

ceremonial centers on the plain.

But at the back
part of the citadel,

we've also found a variety of
lines and trapezoids, geoglyphs

which have an important
link with Cahuachi.

The same civilization
which build the citadel

made the geoglyphs.

As for their impressive
size, the people

here must have considered
that their gods could

contemplate the geoglyphs.

They were offerings to the gods,
made so they could see them.

>> People came from very
far away on pilgrimage,

and thousands of people lived
here to welcome the visitors.

The key to better
understanding of the lines

seems to be to better understand
the whole of this civilization,

but the Nazca did not only
leave behind their geoglyphs.

The lines are just one of
the many means of expression

used by this civilization.

Giuseppe Orefici is
one of the region's

principal archaeologists.

>> As we've seen, the Nazca
civilization was impressive

because it had many forms
of expression ranging from

ceramics to geoglyphs, as
well as all the other systems

of expression.

This shows us the grandeur
of this civilization which,

based on a theocracy, dominated
a very large territory

for over 1,000 years.

>> The Nazca civilization
was very advanced from

a technological point of view,
not just in irrigation but also

in construction, mathematics,
music, agriculture,

and pottery.

>> The iconographic themes which
are found in the Nazca Lines

show us that they had a great
ability to reproduce scale

drawings.

This was because they
managed to succeed

in reproducing using gigantic
lines the iconography found

on ceramics.

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>> With such a rich
and varied culture,

the diversity and precision of
the Nazca design seems a little

less astonishing.

But despite all
these discoveries,

the Nazca Lines keep
most of their secrets,

and it has to be accepted
that some of them

will always remain a mystery.

Doubtless in the years to
come, sleeping geoglyphs

will be discovered, especially
thanks to the growing

precision of satellite imagery.

So they will continue to
feed legend and generate

stories of the supernatural.

But the geoglyphs offer
us one last enigma.

What do we do with them now?

At Nazca, some
sites are protected,

but there are so many
designs spread out

over such a vast surface that
some have not even been listed.

And in Chile, on the
flanks of Cerros Pintados,

the great vulnerability
of the geoglyphs is clear.

The enormous fresco is
pierced with holes that

have degraded the geoglyphs.

This is because of
mining prospecting,

looking for saltpeter deposits
at the end of the 19th century.

>> Here we can see the traces
of those which were degraded

and destroyed because people
at the time of saltpeter mining

didn't have the slightest idea
of the value of this giant

message.

They called these places
the Painted Mountains,

but in reality
they're not paintings

and this has nothing to
do with the original name

of the mountains.

This shows their ignorance of
the value of the geoglyphs,

which are so important.

Today, at least the intention
is to protect these.

Because these ceremonial
sites were sacred,

they need to be given
back that value.

As these sites are
returned to us,

we'll re-establish
the great harmony

with nature that once existed.

>> But protecting
them isn't enough.

Most geoglyphs risk disappearing
if they are not maintained.

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On the same site as the
Nazcas, an even more

ancient civilization
had begun to create

geoglyphs, the Paracas.

These designs had
almost disappeared

and were very difficult to
see, so a restoration campaign

was begun.

Johny Isla, Director of
the Archaeological Service,

comes with his team to
restore the precious designs.

>> What we're going to do is
take some photographs so that

we can get a scale.

After that, the piles of stones
weren't there originally,

so we'll take them away.

Practically, that's
what we're going to do.

At the Palpa site, we've
identified nearly 80 groups

of figures of this type.

They were all
disappearing because they

had been made on
the mountain slopes

where there's a lot of erosion,
sometimes rain, people passing

by, earth movements, and
also dust and wind which

caused erosion.

We identified several different
groups, such as this one here,

which has been restored
by putting the stones back

in place, which makes
the figure more visible.

Basically what we're doing
is lifting the stones which

have fallen inside the
figures and putting them back

on the sides so that the figure
keeps its original contours,

and in that way it can
be seen from far off.

It's a technique which
we use for buildings,

but with geoglyphs
it's the first time

that we've used it to bring them
back to their original state.

Sometimes we have to clear
away the earth that builds up

on the stone with
brushes and nothing else,

and in some cases when
we're restoring them

we use a little water to
clean the stones so as

to make them more visible.

Nothing more.

It's a very simple technique,
but it takes a lot of time.

>> We clean them carefully, just
enough to be able to visualize

them without altering them.

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>> Maintenance and restoration
are also part of daily life

around the Uffington
White Horse.

More than 250,000 people come
each year to visit the site

and to do all sorts of strange
things inspired by the legends.

>> Nice.

One is that if you stand in the
eye of the horse and you spin

round three times, it
will bring you luck.

But if I see you, I
will tell you off.

It's not good.

Erosion is one of
our biggest problems.

I mean, all this, this is
because of people stepping.

We ask don't step on the
horse, so they step here.

And then you multiply
this by thousands.

This is why you get marks
like this and like that.

It's where people step.

Every time.

That's a step, you see?

And that's the problem.

But it keeps me busy.

There is always
work to do here, OK?

>> But there's no question
of closing the site.

The powers that be want people
to have access to the horse

and to know its history.

So the geoglyph has to
be maintained every year.

400 people work in
relay over two days

to renew the surface
level of chalk.

>> This is how we
chalk the horse.

The method hasn't changed
in thousands of years.

It's exactly the same.

This is our technology.

We could, if we want, today
the men who make the roads,

they have the pneumatic--

you know?

Yes, you could do that here,
but it's not the same, is it?

It's not the story.

We want to do it.

We want to keep tradition alive.

That's what it's all about.

This is our heritage,
the heritage of England.

So we want to keep it.

We want to use
people, not machines.

>> The Uffington White Horse
has thus been looked after from

generation to generation
for over 3,000 years.

Elsewhere in the
country, other geoglyphs

have been lost for
lack of maintenance,

and covered back
over by vegetation.

Today, English Hill
Figures are mainly

looked after by institutions
or groups of local inhabitants.

Some are still made,
keeping the tradition alive.

The latest was
made in 2006, near

to the Channel Tunnel entrance.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

In 1990, Katherine launched
a project with her students.

>> In the months
following the trial,

I thought it would be an
interesting thing to do

to conduct some exercise
in experimental archeology,

and to tape out a
giantess, a Hill Figure.

She is the same.

She's much the same height.

She is slimmer.

She is a mirrored version
of him, quite literally.

But of course without
the same accouterments

that the male has, although
she's recognizably female.

>> To respect proportions
and guide the design,

Katherine and her
team used a grid.

Creating a geoglyph was
an intense experience

for several hours, which
allowed them to put themselves

into the shoes of and to
better understand the creators

of the original work.

>> As we discovered
with the giantess,

they're not
difficult to lay out.

This is not an exercise
which is too difficult.

It doesn't take long to do.

I'm sure the creator,
whoever it was,

definitely saw the end
result of his work.

Yes, of course he did.

And the people who helped
him to dig out the figure.

Yes, of course they did.

Didn't take long.

>> Designing and creating
geoglyphs remains a living

tradition.

And although it's
the artists who

practice land art
who come closest

to the works of
our ancestors, we

create geoglyphs
all over the planet,

sometimes without realizing it.

Here, it's the grid pattern
of streets in a United States

ghost town.

There, a satellite staging
marker in the Chinese Gobi

Desert.

Geoglyphs might seem to merely
be historical curiosities,

but they are also the
last unique vestiges

of some civilizations.

Will what we create today
also voyage through history?

What will this teach
those who study us

in the thousands
of years to come?

Will these be the only traces
we leave behind us if we vanish?

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