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{\an1}Tonight...
They've been called
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{\an1}the world's greatest
archeological enigma.
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{\an1}AARON HINKLEY: Everyone focuses
on the Nazca Lines
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{\an1}because of just
how mysterious they are.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: 2,000 year-old
drawings so massive,
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{\an1}they can only
be seen from the air.
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{\an1}But what are they
and why were they created?
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{\an1}FORREST BURGESS: We know
they didn't just appear
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{\an1}out of thin air,
but there is virtually
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00:00:27,500 --> 00:00:30,833
{\an1}no historical record
of previous societies in Peru.
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{\an1}Now, we examine the top theories
behind their mysterious origins.
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{\an1}Maybe the Lines
were ritual battlefields,
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{\an1}but I don't think
that's all they ever were.
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{\an1}They found a collection
of severed heads,
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{\an1}and this really suggests
that the Nazca Lines
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{\an1}could be connected
to ritual human sacrifice.
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{\an1}This is why
we think the Nazca Lines
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{\an1}may have been repurposed.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Can new research
finally unravel their secrets?
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{\an1}Researchers make
a shocking discovery
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{\an1}and, if this theory
is correct,
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{\an1}they might have solved one
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{\an1}of archeology's
greatest riddles.
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{\an1}What is the true
purpose of the Nazca Lines?
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{\an1}♪ ♪
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{\an1}♪ ♪
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{\an1}LAURENCE: September, 1926.
Nazca, Peru.
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{\an1}Archeologist
Toribio Mejia Xesspe
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{\an1}leads an expedition
in the Peruvian desert.
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{\an1}Xesspe and his team have
been drawn here by a discovery
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{\an1}of a giant underground acropolis
full of hundreds of mummies.
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{\an1}When most people
think of mummies,
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{\an1}they tend to think
of Egyptian mummies,
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{\an1}but, in fact,
the oldest mummies in the world
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{\an1}are from Northern Chile
and Southern Peru.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Dating back
over 7,000 years,
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{\an1}they're known
as the Chinchorro mummies.
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{\an1}Xesspe examines some
that are wrapped in thick layers
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{\an1}of expertly-woven
cotton textiles,
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{\an1}covered in vibrant images
of mystical figures and animals.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: One day,
while taking a break
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{\an1}from his work,
Xesspe hikes up a nearby hill.
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{\an1}He gets to the summit,
looks out over the desert plain,
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00:02:13,542 --> 00:02:15,042
{\an1}and he's met
with a stunning sight
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{\an1}he can barely believe.
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{\an1}Xesspe sees
a series of thick lines
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{\an1}carved into the rocky desert.
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{\an1}Some stretch
as far as his eyes can see.
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{\an1}These lines are incredibly long,
perhaps miles,
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00:02:28,083 --> 00:02:30,250
{\an1}and they're straight as a ruler.
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{\an1}At first, he thinks
they're trails or roads,
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{\an1}but he notices
that several of them plow right
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{\an1}over the mountains
and other rugged terrain.
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{\an1}Not exactly what you would do
if you were building a road.
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{\an1}Eventually, he realizes
a lot of these are forming
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{\an1}geometric shapes, you know, kind
of standard rectangles, spirals,
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{\an1}squares, triangles,
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{\an1}some of them as big
as a football field,
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{\an1}to put it in perspective.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Intrigued,
Xesspe puts his mummy research
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{\an1}on hold to investigate.
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{\an1}One of the things Xesspe
realizes would be useful is
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{\an1}to get a better look
at these from higher up.
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00:03:04,292 --> 00:03:06,125
{\an1}So he calls in
the Peruvian Air Force
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{\an1}to get that overall aerial view.
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{\an1}They can fly over it,
see what's really going on.
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{\an1}When they reach altitude,
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{\an1}the pilots
can't believe their eyes.
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{\an1}The lines and shapes
cover an area
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{\an1}that stretches
for hundreds of square miles,
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{\an1}far beyond what Xesspe
originally saw.
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{\an1}There are spirals, zigzags...
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{\an1}There are drawings of birds,
spiders, monkeys,
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{\an1}immense in scale.
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{\an1}These images are
impossible to see
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{\an1}in their entirety
from the ground,
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{\an1}so the pilots realize they're
probably the first people
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{\an1}to ever truly witness the scale
of this unusual formation.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: The strange markings
become known as the Nazca Lines.
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{\an1}When you look at how many Lines
are actually there,
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{\an1}it's an incredible number.
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{\an1}Over 800 Lines total,
hundreds of geometric shapes
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{\an1}and at least 100 animals
are present in this area.
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{\an1}Some of the Lines
are thousands of meters,
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{\an1}all the way up to 25 miles,
and this is quite incredible.
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00:04:01,542 --> 00:04:04,000
{\an1}The precision of these Lines
is super impressive,
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00:04:04,167 --> 00:04:06,292
{\an1}even by modern survey standards,
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00:04:06,417 --> 00:04:10,500
{\an1}because many of them
are just dead straight.
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{\an1}FORREST BURGESS:
And for 100 years now,
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{\an1}ever since Xesspe
first spotted them,
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{\an1}they've been a mystery.
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{\an1}Who made them?
When were they made?
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{\an1}Why?
What's the purpose of them?
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{\an1}LAURENCE:
Initially, it's believed
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{\an1}the Inca are responsible.
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{\an1}Beginning in the 12th century,
the Incan Empire
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{\an1}eventually rules
a large area of South America
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{\an1}until Spain conquers them
in the 1530s.
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00:04:34,707 --> 00:04:38,500
{\an1}But scientists eventually date
the Lines to between 300 BC
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{\an1}and 800 AD,
which means all of them
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{\an1}predate the Incas.
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{\an1}LAURENCE:
In fact, some of the Lines
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{\an1}are almost 2,500 years old.
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00:04:48,750 --> 00:04:51,250
{\an1}We know they didn't just
appear out of thin air,
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00:04:51,375 --> 00:04:53,332
{\an1}but there is virtually
no historical record
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{\an1}of previous societies in Peru
because the Incas,
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00:04:56,417 --> 00:04:59,000
{\an1}and later the Spanish,
made it a policy to suppress
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00:04:59,125 --> 00:05:02,042
{\an1}and destroy every trace
of the cultures they conquered.
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00:05:02,167 --> 00:05:04,917
{\an1}And so who built them remains
one of the biggest mysteries.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: But how they were made
is much easier to answer.
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{\an1}The ground is covered
with a desert varnish.
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{\an1}It's these small pebbles,
rocks that have
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{\an1}this black patina on them.
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{\an1}When you scrape away
this darker layer,
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00:05:19,707 --> 00:05:21,625
{\an1}you reveal
a lighter layer underneath.
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00:05:21,750 --> 00:05:24,417
{\an1}It's a stark contrast,
like a negative image.
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{\an1}So that's the method they used.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: The region is also
one of the driest on Earth.
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{\an1}It receives only a millimeter
of rain a year,
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{\an1}and because there's no rain
in this area,
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{\an1}these Lines were able to survive
for thousands of years.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: After 13 years
researching the Lines,
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{\an1}Xesspe presents his findings
at a conference in 1939.
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{\an1}This conference is
the first time that people
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{\an1}from outside of Peru
have heard of these Lines.
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{\an1}Xesspe's work has been mostly
cataloging and measuring them.
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{\an1}He doesn't suggest
an overarching purpose
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{\an1}for the Lines, but it gets
a lot of people excited.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Among those intrigued,
a scholar named Paul Kosok.
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00:06:06,917 --> 00:06:10,708
{\an1}Kosok is a history professor
from Long Island University
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{\an1}in Brooklyn, and he's in Peru
studying pre-Columbian society
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{\an1}and culture,
particularly focused
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{\an1}on their irrigation systems.
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{\an1}LAURENCE:
Inspired by Xesspe's work,
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{\an1}Kosok travels to Nazca
to try and solve the puzzle.
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{\an1}FORREST: In June of 1941,
he's charting several
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{\an1}of the shapes
in the vast desert plain.
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{\an1}As he contemplates
their purpose, he glances up
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{\an1}at the setting sun and is struck
with a sudden epiphany.
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{\an1}Kozok realizes
that the Line he's charting
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{\an1}points directly at the sunset
over the horizon.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Kosok has a revelation
about what these lines could be.
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{\an1}It's late June in Peru,
just about the time
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{\an1}of the winter solstice
in the Southern Hemisphere.
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{\an1}It strikes him
that these lines could be
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{\an1}an astronomical calendar.
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{\an1}♪ ♪
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{\an1}Kosok returns to Lima
with this incredible story
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00:07:01,625 --> 00:07:05,458
{\an1}of discovering what might be
the largest astronomy textbook
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{\an1}in the world, etched
into the sands of the desert.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: There, Kosok consults
with a German mathematician
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{\an1}named Maria Reiche,
to figure out
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{\an1}more specifically
what the calendar is tracking.
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{\an1}So Reiche works
at the National Museum of Lima
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{\an1}and is a restorer, and she hears
about this and really
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{\an1}gets interested in exploring
in much more detail
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{\an1}how these figures
could work
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{\an1}from an astronomical
perspective.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: On her first
trip to Nazca in 1941,
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{\an1}Reiche identifies 16 lines
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{\an1}that point directly
at the rising
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{\an1}or setting sun
on the dates of the solstice.
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{\an1}Reiche also thinks she knows
why the Lines' creators
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{\an1}might have made
this calendar to begin with.
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{\an1}One of the things Reiche
did really well
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{\an1}was track a large number
of correlations
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{\an1}between the different figures
and different elements
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{\an1}of astronomical importance.
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{\an1}Two examples are a line
on the spider figure that points
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{\an1}to Orion and a set of lines
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{\an1}on another figure
that point to the Pleiades.
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{\an1}Many ancient civilizations
are based
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{\an1}around agriculture and farming,
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00:08:12,958 --> 00:08:15,875
{\an1}and knowing when to plant
or when to harvest
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{\an1}is vitally important.
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{\an1}Often, these times
would coincide
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00:08:19,582 --> 00:08:21,582
{\an1}with atmospheric patterns,
like rain.
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{\an1}AARON: But what do you do
in a place where it never rains?
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{\an1}FORREST: Most of this region's
water comes from periodic runoff
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00:08:28,625 --> 00:08:30,042
{\an1}from the surrounding mountains.
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{\an1}So a farming culture
with an environment
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{\an1}with virtually no rainfall
would rely heavily
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{\an1}on a celestial calendar
to determine planting times
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{\an1}for their survival.
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{\an1}When that water comes,
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{\an1}you need to be ready.
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{\an1}MICHAEL DENNIN:
So one constellation you can use
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{\an1}in this fashion is the Pleiades.
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{\an1}When they show up in November,
you know you're really close
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00:08:48,375 --> 00:08:50,042
{\an1}to the rainfall
up in the mountains.
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{\an1}You're about to get your runoff,
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00:08:51,667 --> 00:08:53,500
{\an1}so you start
your planting season,
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{\an1}and when the Pleiades
leave the sky later in the year,
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{\an1}that's when you know
it's time to start your harvest.
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{\an1}LAURENCE: Reiche reports
her findings to the press,
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{\an1}providing the first published
theory on the Nazca Lines.
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{\an1}AARON: To this day,
Reiche's interpretation
198
00:09:08,250 --> 00:09:11,958
{\an1}of the Lines dominates
the public's perception of them.
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{\an1}She's dubbed
the Lady of the Lines.
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00:09:14,708 --> 00:09:17,000
{\an1}FORREST: There's plenty of
reason to believe this theory,
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00:09:17,125 --> 00:09:18,458
{\an1}because there are examples
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{\an1}of many other
prehistoric cultures
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00:09:20,042 --> 00:09:21,833
{\an1}of earthworks being
constructed to aid
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00:09:21,958 --> 00:09:24,250
{\an1}in astronomical sightings
and calendars.
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00:09:25,208 --> 00:09:29,500
{\an1}LAURENCE: The famed Stonehenge
may be one such example.
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00:09:29,625 --> 00:09:31,292
{\an1}FORREST: In the 1960s,
207
00:09:31,417 --> 00:09:33,000
{\an1}an astronomer named
Gerald Hawkins
208
00:09:33,083 --> 00:09:35,292
{\an1}calculated the positions
of its standing stones
209
00:09:35,375 --> 00:09:38,625
{\an1}using an early IBM computer
and announced that the monument
210
00:09:38,750 --> 00:09:40,542
{\an1}was designed to predict
astronomical events.
211
00:09:40,708 --> 00:09:42,833
{\an1}His work was a sensation
around the world,
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00:09:42,958 --> 00:09:44,500
{\an1}and inspired a new branch
of science,
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00:09:44,583 --> 00:09:45,958
{\an1}known as archeoastronomy.
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00:09:47,208 --> 00:09:51,792
{\an1}LAURENCE: In 1968, Hawkins
visits Nazca to study the Lines,
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00:09:51,917 --> 00:09:54,708
{\an1}using the same
computer matching technique.
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00:09:54,875 --> 00:09:56,833
{\an1}MICHAEL: In particular,
what Hawkins looks at
217
00:09:56,958 --> 00:10:00,000
{\an1}is 21 triangles
and 70 or so lines,
218
00:10:00,083 --> 00:10:02,333
{\an1}and really asks,
"Okay, how well correlated
219
00:10:02,500 --> 00:10:04,917
{\an1}are these
with astronomical phenomena?
220
00:10:05,042 --> 00:10:07,708
{\an1}His conclusion?
The connections Reiche found
221
00:10:07,875 --> 00:10:09,750
{\an1}were only coincidental.
222
00:10:09,875 --> 00:10:11,667
{\an1}One of the issues
is that there are just
223
00:10:11,792 --> 00:10:14,667
{\an1}so many of the Lines
and in such a large variety
224
00:10:14,792 --> 00:10:17,667
{\an1}and in so many directions,
that, to suggest all of them,
225
00:10:17,792 --> 00:10:20,000
{\an1}or even most of them,
are connected to astronomy
226
00:10:20,125 --> 00:10:21,250
{\an1}is a clear stretch.
227
00:10:22,500 --> 00:10:24,333
{\an1}MICHAEL: Reiche and Kosok,
when they see the findings,
228
00:10:24,417 --> 00:10:25,917
{\an1}they don't disagree with them.
229
00:10:26,042 --> 00:10:28,042
{\an1}I mean, the computer findings
are pretty solid,
230
00:10:28,167 --> 00:10:29,625
{\an1}but they do point out
231
00:10:29,708 --> 00:10:31,083
{\an1}that this isn't
necessarily conclusive.
232
00:10:31,208 --> 00:10:34,000
{\an1}It doesn't rule out
that some of the Lines
233
00:10:34,125 --> 00:10:36,125
{\an1}aren't astronomical.
234
00:10:36,250 --> 00:10:38,083
{\an1}FORREST: They believe there are
some alignments, which are done
235
00:10:38,208 --> 00:10:40,667
{\an1}on purpose to be used
as a celestial calendar,
236
00:10:40,833 --> 00:10:43,000
{\an1}but there must also be
a much larger and grand purpose
237
00:10:43,167 --> 00:10:46,708
{\an1}to the design that they haven't
figured out yet.
238
00:10:50,625 --> 00:10:52,000
{\an1}LAURENCE:
When Peruvian archeologist
239
00:10:52,125 --> 00:10:56,708
{\an1}Toribio Xesspe discovers
the Nazca Lines in 1926,
240
00:10:56,833 --> 00:11:00,667
{\an1}the first thing that strikes him
is their incredible scale.
241
00:11:00,750 --> 00:11:02,417
{\an1}MICHAEL: When you look
at these shapes and features,
242
00:11:02,542 --> 00:11:04,417
{\an1}they're so huge,
they can only be viewed
243
00:11:04,542 --> 00:11:06,542
{\an1}from above and very high
in the sky.
244
00:11:06,667 --> 00:11:09,375
{\an1}So this does mean
that the culture that built them
245
00:11:09,500 --> 00:11:12,458
{\an1}would actually never be able
to see them directly.
246
00:11:12,542 --> 00:11:15,083
{\an1}FORREST: We know there weren't
planes or other flying vessels
247
00:11:15,208 --> 00:11:17,958
{\an1}2,500 years ago, when
the Lines were first created,
248
00:11:18,042 --> 00:11:21,083
{\an1}but somehow these people
decided to craft designs
249
00:11:21,208 --> 00:11:22,917
{\an1}meant to be seen
from what, to them,
250
00:11:23,042 --> 00:11:24,375
{\an1}would have been
an impossible viewpoint.
251
00:11:24,500 --> 00:11:26,333
{\an1}It doesn't make sense.
252
00:11:26,458 --> 00:11:30,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: Unless the Lines were
designed for another purpose.
253
00:11:30,792 --> 00:11:33,667
{\an1}In 1968,
Swiss author Eric Von Daniken
254
00:11:33,792 --> 00:11:35,500
{\an1}claims he knows the reason.
255
00:11:35,625 --> 00:11:38,083
{\an1}The Lines aren't built
for anyone on Earth.
256
00:11:38,208 --> 00:11:40,333
{\an1}Instead, they're built
as a landing guide
257
00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:42,000
{\an1}to an extraterrestrial species
258
00:11:42,083 --> 00:11:44,125
{\an1}that once visited
the Nazcans from the heavens.
259
00:11:44,208 --> 00:11:47,167
{\an1}♪ ♪
260
00:11:47,250 --> 00:11:50,083
{\an1}One of the first Europeans
to see the Lines is
261
00:11:50,208 --> 00:11:53,667
{\an1}a magistrate named
Luis de Monzon in 1586.
262
00:11:54,333 --> 00:11:55,667
{\an1}FORREST: He initially suspects
that they are traces
263
00:11:55,750 --> 00:11:57,542
{\an1}of ancient roads,
which, of course,
264
00:11:57,708 --> 00:11:59,417
{\an1}we know isn't true these days.
265
00:11:59,542 --> 00:12:01,375
{\an1}CAROLINE CORY: When he asks
the locals about them,
266
00:12:01,542 --> 00:12:02,875
{\an1}he's told of a legend.
267
00:12:03,042 --> 00:12:05,833
{\an1}In very old times,
the Nazcans were visited
268
00:12:05,958 --> 00:12:08,667
{\an1}by people
they called the Viracochas.
269
00:12:08,833 --> 00:12:12,500
{\an1}They referred to
as saintly persons.
270
00:12:12,625 --> 00:12:14,667
{\an1}The locals tell De Monzon
that the paths
271
00:12:14,792 --> 00:12:16,208
{\an1}were actually built for them.
272
00:12:17,458 --> 00:12:21,250
{\an1}LAURENCE: Viracocha is also
the name of a Nazcan god.
273
00:12:21,375 --> 00:12:24,250
{\an1}This deity dates back
to around 3000 BC,
274
00:12:24,375 --> 00:12:27,125
{\an1}and the legend says that he came
from the sky in a golden boat,
275
00:12:27,250 --> 00:12:28,500
{\an1}from the other side
of the Milky Way,
276
00:12:28,583 --> 00:12:29,458
{\an1}to be specific.
277
00:12:30,625 --> 00:12:31,958
{\an1}In the oldest depictions,
he's pictured
278
00:12:32,083 --> 00:12:34,375
{\an1}with a cone-shaped skull
and only four digits
279
00:12:34,542 --> 00:12:36,333
{\an1}on his hands and feet.
280
00:12:36,417 --> 00:12:39,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: Von Daniken believes
these legends are a reference
281
00:12:39,833 --> 00:12:42,250
{\an1}to extraterrestrials.
282
00:12:42,375 --> 00:12:45,833
{\an1}MICHAEL: One of Von Daniken's
key thesis and beliefs
283
00:12:45,958 --> 00:12:48,667
{\an1}is that the ancient people
saw these extraterrestrials,
284
00:12:48,833 --> 00:12:50,000
{\an1}these aliens, as gods.
285
00:12:51,208 --> 00:12:53,375
{\an1}FORREST: Von Daniken believes
that when the Viracochas,
286
00:12:53,500 --> 00:12:55,792
{\an1}or aliens, first visit,
287
00:12:55,875 --> 00:12:58,958
{\an1}they teach the Nazca people
how to make these Lines.
288
00:12:59,042 --> 00:13:01,292
{\an1}FORREST: The earliest Lines
are built as a landing pad
289
00:13:01,375 --> 00:13:02,958
{\an1}or navigational marker,
290
00:13:03,083 --> 00:13:05,458
{\an1}basically an airstrip
for these alien ships.
291
00:13:06,417 --> 00:13:09,833
{\an1}We don't know if these aliens
ever made any return visits,
292
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,833
{\an1}but Von Daniken believes that
eventually they stop coming,
293
00:13:12,917 --> 00:13:15,292
{\an1}and the Nazca decide
to get creative.
294
00:13:15,917 --> 00:13:17,042
{\an1}FORREST: They want
the Viracochas
295
00:13:17,167 --> 00:13:19,208
{\an1}to return back
as soon as possible,
296
00:13:19,333 --> 00:13:22,458
{\an1}so they start building more
and more elaborate Nazca Lines.
297
00:13:23,208 --> 00:13:26,000
{\an1}LAURENCE:
Von Daniken's 1968 book,
298
00:13:26,083 --> 00:13:29,167
{\an1}"Chariots of the Gods,"
turns the Nazca Lines
299
00:13:29,333 --> 00:13:32,000
{\an1}into an international
phenomenon.
300
00:13:32,125 --> 00:13:34,125
{\an1}MICHAEL: When Von Daniken
first came out with his book,
301
00:13:34,208 --> 00:13:36,500
{\an1}this really generated
a lot of interest,
302
00:13:36,667 --> 00:13:38,500
{\an1}a lot of excitement,
a lot of buzz.
303
00:13:38,667 --> 00:13:40,750
{\an1}It was a very,
very intriguing idea
304
00:13:40,875 --> 00:13:42,667
{\an1}that maybe aliens had visited.
305
00:13:43,375 --> 00:13:45,167
{\an1}FORREST: And, in fact,
some people look
306
00:13:45,250 --> 00:13:48,083
{\an1}at one of the Nazca geoglyphs
in particular, and believe
307
00:13:48,208 --> 00:13:50,042
{\an1}it may prove
Von Daniken's theory.
308
00:13:51,250 --> 00:13:53,000
{\an1}LAURENCE:
Known as The Astronaut,
309
00:13:53,083 --> 00:13:55,875
{\an1}this figure covers nearly 100ft
of a hillside,
310
00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:57,875
{\an1}overlooking the desert.
311
00:13:58,000 --> 00:13:59,958
{\an1}Some call it The Astronaut
because it looks like
312
00:14:00,083 --> 00:14:01,458
{\an1}it's wearing a space helmet,
313
00:14:01,542 --> 00:14:03,792
{\an1}which, of course,
is a modern interpretation.
314
00:14:03,875 --> 00:14:07,000
{\an1}Most historians
refer to him as the Owl Man.
315
00:14:07,083 --> 00:14:10,875
{\an1}AARON: It's a humanoid figure,
but clearly not entirely human.
316
00:14:11,042 --> 00:14:13,667
{\an1}It features large, round eyes,
and it seems to be
317
00:14:13,833 --> 00:14:16,167
{\an1}waving hello
to someone in the skies.
318
00:14:17,208 --> 00:14:19,042
{\an1}CAROLINE: A thousand years
after the creation
319
00:14:19,167 --> 00:14:22,250
{\an1}of the Nazca Astronaut,
the Inca build a statue
320
00:14:22,375 --> 00:14:26,917
{\an1}of Viracocha in Cusco,
raising his right hand,
321
00:14:27,042 --> 00:14:28,583
{\an1}much like The Astronaut.
322
00:14:28,708 --> 00:14:31,208
{\an1}Scholars believe
the Nazca Astronaut
323
00:14:31,333 --> 00:14:33,625
{\an1}could be an image
of the same god.
324
00:14:34,375 --> 00:14:35,875
{\an1}AARON: We don't currently
have any way to know
325
00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:38,833
{\an1}if the Nazca Astronaut
is an alien.
326
00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:40,875
{\an1}There are no records
from this society,
327
00:14:41,042 --> 00:14:43,125
{\an1}apart from the Nazca Lines
themselves.
328
00:14:43,917 --> 00:14:45,458
{\an1}LAURENCE:
But one ancient practice
329
00:14:45,583 --> 00:14:48,167
{\an1}might offer more insight.
330
00:14:48,333 --> 00:14:49,833
{\an1}FORREST: Remember those ancient
Peruvian mummies
331
00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:51,583
{\an1}Xesspe was examining?
332
00:14:51,708 --> 00:14:55,458
{\an1}Well, shockingly, many of them
have elongated skulls.
333
00:14:55,542 --> 00:14:56,833
{\an1}Today, it might be seen
334
00:14:56,958 --> 00:14:58,542
{\an1}as a strange
and disturbing look,
335
00:14:58,708 --> 00:15:01,083
{\an1}but it's believed that
the natives did this on purpose,
336
00:15:01,208 --> 00:15:03,833
{\an1}by attaching wooden boards
to their infants' heads.
337
00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:05,208
{\an1}Several mummies are even found
338
00:15:05,375 --> 00:15:07,167
{\an1}with these boards
still attached.
339
00:15:07,250 --> 00:15:10,125
{\an1}LAURENCE:
The question is, why?
340
00:15:11,125 --> 00:15:14,167
{\an1}We've seen Viracocha represented
with an elongated head,
341
00:15:14,250 --> 00:15:16,500
{\an1}and many representations
of aliens
342
00:15:16,625 --> 00:15:18,167
{\an1}with a similar head shape.
343
00:15:18,292 --> 00:15:20,708
{\an1}Well, perhaps they're trying
to emulate the appearance
344
00:15:20,833 --> 00:15:23,292
{\an1}of their gods,
who had similar features.
345
00:15:24,250 --> 00:15:28,375
{\an1}LAURENCE: A 2017 discovery
takes this claim a step further.
346
00:15:28,708 --> 00:15:30,625
{\an1}FORREST:
Dr. Konstantin Korotkov,
347
00:15:30,708 --> 00:15:32,000
{\an1}professor of biophysics
348
00:15:32,125 --> 00:15:33,833
{\an1}at St. Petersburg
Federal University,
349
00:15:33,917 --> 00:15:35,667
{\an1}shows the press these mummies
350
00:15:35,833 --> 00:15:38,000
{\an1}that he believes
aren't human at all.
351
00:15:38,125 --> 00:15:39,750
{\an1}They look like
they're covered in plaster,
352
00:15:39,875 --> 00:15:41,583
{\an1}but Korotkov explains,
353
00:15:41,708 --> 00:15:44,333
{\an1}"This is just calcification
and protective material."
354
00:15:44,417 --> 00:15:47,167
{\an1}They have elongated heads,
large round eyes,
355
00:15:47,250 --> 00:15:49,833
{\an1}and just three digits
on their hands and feet.
356
00:15:49,917 --> 00:15:52,417
{\an1}He calls it, quote,
"Another creature,"
357
00:15:52,542 --> 00:15:55,292
{\an1}different from anything else
in our fossil record.
358
00:15:56,208 --> 00:15:58,417
{\an1}These mummies are
made famous by a web series
359
00:15:58,542 --> 00:16:00,542
{\an1}claiming to investigate
their authenticity.
360
00:16:00,708 --> 00:16:03,292
{\an1}Millions of people
watch as stupefied scientists
361
00:16:03,375 --> 00:16:05,250
{\an1}declare them to be
the genuine article.
362
00:16:05,375 --> 00:16:08,000
{\an1}The body they examine
is indeed organic,
363
00:16:08,125 --> 00:16:11,125
{\an1}and it dates back 1,700 years.
364
00:16:11,250 --> 00:16:13,167
{\an1}LAURENCE: But when another team
of scientists
365
00:16:13,333 --> 00:16:16,792
{\an1}inspects the mummies,
they're proven to be fake.
366
00:16:17,750 --> 00:16:19,958
{\an1}MICHELE KOONS: They discovered
that these were mummies
367
00:16:20,042 --> 00:16:23,583
{\an1}that were modified
for this hoax
368
00:16:23,708 --> 00:16:27,208
{\an1}and really turns out
to be quite disturbing.
369
00:16:27,333 --> 00:16:30,167
{\an1}FORREST: These bodies are made
from real indigenous mummies,
370
00:16:30,333 --> 00:16:32,875
{\an1}which have been mutilated
to make them look like aliens.
371
00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:34,875
{\an1}Their ears and noses
are sliced away
372
00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:36,083
{\an1}and the alterations
are covered up
373
00:16:36,208 --> 00:16:38,125
{\an1}with a white plastery powder.
374
00:16:39,167 --> 00:16:41,375
{\an1}But the other mummies
with the elongated heads
375
00:16:41,542 --> 00:16:42,917
{\an1}remain genuine.
376
00:16:43,042 --> 00:16:45,333
{\an1}Those are humans
who most definitely
377
00:16:45,500 --> 00:16:48,167
{\an1}gave themselves
an otherworldly appearance.
378
00:16:48,292 --> 00:16:49,875
{\an1}Why?
We don't know.
379
00:16:50,667 --> 00:16:52,125
{\an1}AARON: I think everyone
would like to know the answer
380
00:16:52,250 --> 00:16:54,292
{\an1}to that question.
381
00:16:54,417 --> 00:16:56,083
{\an1}Maybe they were trying
to connect with another culture
382
00:16:56,208 --> 00:16:58,333
{\an1}that once visited them
from above.
383
00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:00,750
{\an1}Or maybe they just heard stories
of some visit
384
00:17:00,875 --> 00:17:02,792
{\an1}from long ago
and were inspired.
385
00:17:06,875 --> 00:17:08,458
{\an1}LAURENCE:
Nazca, Peru, is home
386
00:17:08,541 --> 00:17:11,041
{\an1}to two incredible
ancient phenomena,
387
00:17:11,166 --> 00:17:14,333
{\an1}the Nazca Lines
and a necropolis
388
00:17:14,458 --> 00:17:19,000
{\an1}of South American mummies,
several thousand years old.
389
00:17:19,125 --> 00:17:21,208
{\an1}FORREST:veryone focuses
on the Nazca Lines
390
00:17:21,333 --> 00:17:24,375
{\an1}because of just how massive
and perplexing they are.
391
00:17:24,541 --> 00:17:26,166
{\an1}But we can't lose sight
of the mummies,
392
00:17:26,250 --> 00:17:29,167
{\an1}because the two
may be intricately linked.
393
00:17:29,833 --> 00:17:33,167
{\an1}AARON: Mummification here
dates back 7,000 years.
394
00:17:33,250 --> 00:17:34,833
{\an1}That's a full 2,000 years
395
00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:37,167
{\an1}before the first
Egyptian mummies.
396
00:17:37,292 --> 00:17:39,542
{\an1}MICHELE: In Egypt, they used
different techniques
397
00:17:39,708 --> 00:17:42,750
{\an1}to dry out the body
before they would wrap it.
398
00:17:42,875 --> 00:17:45,792
{\an1}In this region, they didn't do
anything artificial.
399
00:17:46,458 --> 00:17:47,958
{\an1}The mummies were able
to preserve
400
00:17:48,042 --> 00:17:51,583
{\an1}because this desert environment
is so dry.
401
00:17:51,708 --> 00:17:54,417
{\an1}In fact, some of these mummies
are way better preserved
402
00:17:54,542 --> 00:17:56,625
{\an1}than what we even see
in ancient Egypt.
403
00:17:57,875 --> 00:18:00,250
{\an1}FORREST: Dry conditions are
one part of the reason,
404
00:18:00,375 --> 00:18:03,208
{\an1}but the other is
the technique they used.
405
00:18:03,375 --> 00:18:05,833
{\an1}While the Egyptians used
fine linens, the Nazca mummies
406
00:18:05,958 --> 00:18:08,625
{\an1}are wrapped in very long,
thick cotton and wool textiles,
407
00:18:08,750 --> 00:18:11,042
{\an1}which are embroidered
with a skill and quality
408
00:18:11,208 --> 00:18:13,125
{\an1}that's unmatched
by any other civilization.
409
00:18:13,833 --> 00:18:18,167
{\an1}LAURENCE: In 1983,
Swiss historian Henri Stierlin
410
00:18:18,292 --> 00:18:20,417
{\an1}thinks he knows their secret.
411
00:18:20,542 --> 00:18:22,500
{\an1}FORREST:
Stierlin is an art historian,
412
00:18:22,667 --> 00:18:25,125
{\an1}and he realizes what it would
take for these ancient people
413
00:18:25,208 --> 00:18:26,917
{\an1}to craft these textiles.
414
00:18:27,042 --> 00:18:30,667
{\an1}They would need a lot
of space and huge long looms,
415
00:18:30,750 --> 00:18:32,750
{\an1}essentially an ancient version
of a factory,
416
00:18:32,875 --> 00:18:35,167
{\an1}to churn out this incredible
amount of cloth.
417
00:18:35,333 --> 00:18:37,167
{\an1}He looks around
at what they have nearby
418
00:18:37,292 --> 00:18:39,625
{\an1}and he determines
the Nazca Lines
419
00:18:39,750 --> 00:18:40,833
{\an1}might be the place.
420
00:18:40,958 --> 00:18:44,333
{\an1}♪ ♪
421
00:18:44,458 --> 00:18:46,042
{\an1}LAURENCE: Stierlin writes a book
422
00:18:46,208 --> 00:18:49,125
{\an1}called
"Nazca, the Key to the Mystery,"
423
00:18:49,250 --> 00:18:51,667
{\an1}which details his theory.
424
00:18:51,792 --> 00:18:53,500
{\an1}AARON: One of the most
stunning discoveries
425
00:18:53,583 --> 00:18:55,583
{\an1}about these mummy wraps
is that they are made
426
00:18:55,708 --> 00:18:59,125
{\an1}from a single piece
of cotton thread,
427
00:18:59,208 --> 00:19:00,917
{\an1}which can be dozens
of miles long.
428
00:19:01,042 --> 00:19:04,833
{\an1}This idea of a single thread
is reflected in the way
429
00:19:04,917 --> 00:19:07,250
{\an1}the Nazca Lines
are created too.
430
00:19:07,375 --> 00:19:09,250
{\an1}They're made
with a single line,
431
00:19:09,375 --> 00:19:12,167
{\an1}which starts and ends
in the same spot.
432
00:19:13,083 --> 00:19:15,833
{\an1}FORREST: So first they need
to make very long threads.
433
00:19:15,917 --> 00:19:18,375
{\an1}Stierlin believes
they use the wide clearings
434
00:19:18,542 --> 00:19:20,833
{\an1}within the geometric shapes
as sacred spaces
435
00:19:20,917 --> 00:19:23,292
{\an1}for spinning the cotton fibers
into these threads.
436
00:19:23,417 --> 00:19:26,542
{\an1}As the threads are made,
Stierlin thinks the weavers
437
00:19:26,708 --> 00:19:29,333
{\an1}would lay them out along
the Nazca Line's animal designs.
438
00:19:30,292 --> 00:19:32,292
{\an1}LAURENCE:
According to Peruvian beliefs,
439
00:19:32,375 --> 00:19:34,833
{\an1}each animal carries
a different significance.
440
00:19:34,958 --> 00:19:37,500
{\an1}FORREST: So, depending
on who they're burying,
441
00:19:37,667 --> 00:19:40,000
{\an1}they would lay the thread
in a different Nazca Line
442
00:19:40,167 --> 00:19:43,500
{\an1}to infuse it with the power
of that family's chosen animal.
443
00:19:43,583 --> 00:19:46,208
{\an1}For instance, the whale
provides success in fishing.
444
00:19:46,333 --> 00:19:48,583
{\an1}The hummingbird
provides fertility.
445
00:19:49,875 --> 00:19:52,708
{\an1}LAURENCE: As far as the actual
weaving, Stierlin thinks
446
00:19:52,875 --> 00:19:56,333
{\an1}this takes place within
the Nazca Lines themselves.
447
00:19:56,417 --> 00:19:59,875
{\an1}So Stierlin had this idea
that the Nazca Lines
448
00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,500
{\an1}acted as a giant loom,
449
00:20:02,583 --> 00:20:04,750
{\an1}because there are these posts
within the Nazca Lines,
450
00:20:04,875 --> 00:20:07,792
{\an1}the people would take
the thread and wind
451
00:20:07,875 --> 00:20:11,750
{\an1}back and forth over the Lines
to create the textiles.
452
00:20:11,875 --> 00:20:14,625
{\an1}FORREST: There were posts found
at the Nazca Lines.
453
00:20:14,708 --> 00:20:16,833
{\an1}That's actually how scientists
are able to date them
454
00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:17,958
{\an1}in the first place.
455
00:20:18,833 --> 00:20:20,000
{\an1}They test the remains
of organic wooden posts
456
00:20:20,125 --> 00:20:21,708
{\an1}discovered nearby.
457
00:20:21,833 --> 00:20:23,625
{\an1}Stierlin believes
these posts could have been
458
00:20:23,750 --> 00:20:26,250
{\an1}the framework to support
this giant loom system.
459
00:20:27,208 --> 00:20:29,375
{\an1}LAURENCE:
Stierlin also finds a connection
460
00:20:29,500 --> 00:20:31,833
{\an1}in the drawings themselves.
461
00:20:32,500 --> 00:20:34,375
{\an1}MICHELE: So the designs
on the mummy textiles
462
00:20:34,542 --> 00:20:37,583
{\an1}are very similar to what we see
in the Nazca Lines,
463
00:20:37,708 --> 00:20:40,667
{\an1}a similar array
of animals and plants.
464
00:20:41,625 --> 00:20:43,500
{\an1}FORREST: These ceremonial shapes
might have been a part
465
00:20:43,625 --> 00:20:45,708
{\an1}of the entire process,
from the weaving
466
00:20:45,875 --> 00:20:47,458
{\an1}through to the end
of the mummification.
467
00:20:47,583 --> 00:20:50,333
{\an1}One single mummy shroud
could have over
468
00:20:50,417 --> 00:20:52,583
{\an1}a million stitches
on the main panel,
469
00:20:52,708 --> 00:20:55,625
{\an1}and another 800,000 or so
on the borders.
470
00:20:55,750 --> 00:20:58,208
{\an1}This is a huge
collaborative effort.
471
00:20:58,375 --> 00:21:00,625
{\an1}Making the mummies
must have been a very sacred
472
00:21:00,750 --> 00:21:02,417
{\an1}and important process
to these people.
473
00:21:02,542 --> 00:21:04,708
{\an1}So why not build
a sacred and important
474
00:21:04,875 --> 00:21:06,500
{\an1}site to do it?
475
00:21:06,625 --> 00:21:08,375
{\an1}AARON: The Egyptian mummies
were preserved
476
00:21:08,500 --> 00:21:11,167
{\an1}and wrapped by priests
and elaborate rituals
477
00:21:11,292 --> 00:21:12,958
{\an1}inside impressive temples.
478
00:21:13,042 --> 00:21:14,792
{\an1}This could have been
a prehistoric version
479
00:21:14,917 --> 00:21:16,583
{\an1}of the same thing.
480
00:21:16,708 --> 00:21:18,375
{\an1}LAURENCE: According
to Stierlin's theory,
481
00:21:18,542 --> 00:21:21,667
{\an1}the operation may have
expanded beyond the mummies.
482
00:21:21,750 --> 00:21:25,333
{\an1}♪ ♪
483
00:21:25,458 --> 00:21:27,417
{\an1}FORREST: The Nazca Lines
mummy factory
484
00:21:27,542 --> 00:21:29,583
{\an1}may have eventually
become a textile factory,
485
00:21:29,708 --> 00:21:33,667
{\an1}serving the entire Andean coast
and parts of the highlands.
486
00:21:33,792 --> 00:21:35,792
{\an1}AARON: It's interesting
because while you can't grow
487
00:21:35,917 --> 00:21:38,833
{\an1}many things in this environment,
you can grow cotton.
488
00:21:38,958 --> 00:21:42,333
{\an1}It's one of the only useful
crops they could have had.
489
00:21:42,417 --> 00:21:44,917
{\an1}FORREST: You have to wonder,
how did they survive?
490
00:21:45,042 --> 00:21:47,458
{\an1}Well, if this was a place
that could abundantly
491
00:21:47,542 --> 00:21:50,292
{\an1}manufacture cloth,
they could have traded it.
492
00:21:50,417 --> 00:21:52,792
{\an1}MICHELE: But Stierlin's theory
is really based off
493
00:21:52,875 --> 00:21:54,208
{\an1}of a lot of speculation.
494
00:21:54,333 --> 00:21:56,500
{\an1}There's no archeological
evidence
495
00:21:56,625 --> 00:21:58,917
{\an1}that any weaving
was done on these Lines.
496
00:21:59,042 --> 00:22:02,417
{\an1}He probably saw the posts
and just had this idea
497
00:22:02,542 --> 00:22:06,417
{\an1}because textile production
is so important in the Andes,
498
00:22:06,542 --> 00:22:09,042
{\an1}and textiles, in fact,
were more important
499
00:22:09,167 --> 00:22:11,750
{\an1}than even some of the precious
metals, like gold.
500
00:22:13,458 --> 00:22:16,000
{\an1}LAURENCE: But a new discovery
in 1987
501
00:22:16,083 --> 00:22:18,833
{\an1}challenges Stierlin's theory.
502
00:22:19,417 --> 00:22:21,167
{\an1}About two miles away
from the Nazca Lines,
503
00:22:21,333 --> 00:22:23,250
{\an1}up on a high plateau,
504
00:22:23,375 --> 00:22:26,417
{\an1}is a ceremonial center
called Cahuachi.
505
00:22:26,542 --> 00:22:29,875
{\an1}An Italian archeologist
named Giuseppe Orefici
506
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:34,375
{\an1}has been in charge
of excavations there since 1984.
507
00:22:34,500 --> 00:22:37,375
{\an1}He's working closely
with an American archeologist,
508
00:22:37,500 --> 00:22:39,792
{\an1}Helaine Silverman.
509
00:22:39,875 --> 00:22:41,875
{\an1}FORREST: At Cahuachi, Silverman
and Orefici have found
510
00:22:42,042 --> 00:22:44,833
{\an1}lots of chambers that we now
believe to be workshops
511
00:22:44,917 --> 00:22:46,500
{\an1}for making textiles,
512
00:22:46,625 --> 00:22:48,083
{\an1}with remains of weaving
materials found there.
513
00:22:48,917 --> 00:22:50,917
{\an1}When Silverman
first publishes her work
514
00:22:51,042 --> 00:22:53,958
{\an1}in the "Journal of Field
Archeology" in 1988,
515
00:22:54,042 --> 00:22:56,667
{\an1}she finds that Cahuachi
is the center for the production
516
00:22:56,792 --> 00:22:59,333
{\an1}of these elaborate costumes
worn by the Nazca priests
517
00:22:59,458 --> 00:23:01,208
{\an1}and where the rituals
are performed.
518
00:23:01,333 --> 00:23:04,167
{\an1}In other words, Cahuachi is
the mummy and textile factory,
519
00:23:04,292 --> 00:23:06,917
{\an1}not the Nazca Lines themselves.
520
00:23:07,042 --> 00:23:10,292
{\an1}LAURENCE: But some believe
there's still a connection
521
00:23:10,417 --> 00:23:12,792
{\an1}between the two locations.
522
00:23:12,875 --> 00:23:14,333
{\an1}FORREST: The Nazca Lines
might not have been
523
00:23:14,500 --> 00:23:16,875
{\an1}a mummy factory
or textile factory,
524
00:23:17,042 --> 00:23:18,625
{\an1}but they could have been
a place to reflect
525
00:23:18,750 --> 00:23:20,667
{\an1}while that process
was happening nearby.
526
00:23:20,833 --> 00:23:24,083
{\an1}The entire area, both the Lines
in the valley and Cahuachi,
527
00:23:24,208 --> 00:23:27,250
{\an1}perched above, was most likely
a place of pilgrimage
528
00:23:27,375 --> 00:23:29,167
{\an1}for natives
throughout the region,
529
00:23:29,333 --> 00:23:31,458
{\an1}a kind of religious tourism site
530
00:23:31,542 --> 00:23:34,500
{\an1}which included a funeral parlor
and textile trading.
531
00:23:34,667 --> 00:23:36,500
{\an1}Visitors to Cahuachi
would have had a fine view
532
00:23:36,583 --> 00:23:38,250
{\an1}of some of the Nazca Lines
below,
533
00:23:38,375 --> 00:23:40,000
{\an1}and I don't think
that's a coincidence.
534
00:23:40,125 --> 00:23:41,542
{\an1}♪ ♪
535
00:23:45,417 --> 00:23:47,500
{\an1}Many scholars
have studied the Nazca Lines
536
00:23:47,625 --> 00:23:50,208
{\an1}and speculated
about their mysterious designs,
537
00:23:50,333 --> 00:23:55,000
{\an1}but it's not until 2019
that a Japanese research team
538
00:23:55,083 --> 00:23:59,458
{\an1}takes a closer look
at some of the animal patterns.
539
00:23:59,542 --> 00:24:02,917
{\an1}Their findings unlock
a new possible theory
540
00:24:03,042 --> 00:24:04,792
{\an1}surrounding these shapes.
541
00:24:05,667 --> 00:24:08,125
{\an1}MICHAEL: The animals represented
in the Nazca Lines
542
00:24:08,250 --> 00:24:10,208
{\an1}are referred to as biomorphs.
543
00:24:10,375 --> 00:24:11,667
{\an1}There's over 70 of these.
544
00:24:11,833 --> 00:24:14,208
{\an1}They represent a wide range
of animals,
545
00:24:14,333 --> 00:24:17,208
{\an1}insects like spiders,
monkeys, dogs,
546
00:24:17,375 --> 00:24:19,000
{\an1}and a wide range of birds.
547
00:24:19,125 --> 00:24:21,667
{\an1}FORREST: The animals range
in size from about 50ft long
548
00:24:21,792 --> 00:24:24,125
{\an1}up to over 1,200ft,
almost as tall
549
00:24:24,250 --> 00:24:25,875
{\an1}as the Empire State Building.
550
00:24:26,042 --> 00:24:29,583
{\an1}For about 100 years after
these were first discovered,
551
00:24:29,708 --> 00:24:32,250
{\an1}no one really thought carefully
about the animals.
552
00:24:32,375 --> 00:24:33,750
{\an1}They just classified them
and noticed,
553
00:24:33,875 --> 00:24:35,625
{\an1}"Oh, there's animal biomorphs."
554
00:24:35,750 --> 00:24:38,833
{\an1}The reality is
that these animals are shocking
555
00:24:38,958 --> 00:24:41,083
{\an1}because they don't exist
in this area.
556
00:24:41,208 --> 00:24:44,167
{\an1}And so really asking the
question, "Why these animals?
557
00:24:44,292 --> 00:24:46,292
{\an1}Why here?"
Becomes critical.
558
00:24:47,250 --> 00:24:50,125
{\an1}LAURENCE: Researchers from
Hokkaido University in Japan
559
00:24:50,250 --> 00:24:52,417
{\an1}attempt to answer
these questions.
560
00:24:52,542 --> 00:24:55,458
{\an1}For the first time ever,
these Japanese researchers
561
00:24:55,583 --> 00:24:57,333
{\an1}take a scientific approach
to classifying
562
00:24:57,458 --> 00:24:59,667
{\an1}the species depicted
in the Lines.
563
00:24:59,750 --> 00:25:02,667
{\an1}They want to identify precisely
what species each drawing
564
00:25:02,750 --> 00:25:04,417
{\an1}depicts and where it comes from,
565
00:25:04,542 --> 00:25:06,167
{\an1}and then maybe they can find
566
00:25:06,333 --> 00:25:08,208
{\an1}some sort of logic or pattern
to figure out the reason.
567
00:25:09,042 --> 00:25:11,458
{\an1}MICHAEL: So one of the exciting
things is there's at least
568
00:25:11,583 --> 00:25:14,000
{\an1}18 species that they're able
to identify.
569
00:25:14,125 --> 00:25:15,958
{\an1}There are a handful
that they actually
570
00:25:16,042 --> 00:25:19,500
{\an1}just can't associate or identify
a particular species for.
571
00:25:19,625 --> 00:25:21,333
{\an1}FORREST: Along with
the rather obvious monkey
572
00:25:21,500 --> 00:25:23,875
{\an1}and llama,
they identify a frigate bird,
573
00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:27,125
{\an1}a pelican, a guano bird,
and even a killer whale.
574
00:25:27,708 --> 00:25:29,083
{\an1}The hummingbird,
they identify it
575
00:25:29,208 --> 00:25:31,625
{\an1}as a hermit hummingbird,
a species that lives
576
00:25:31,750 --> 00:25:33,708
{\an1}only in the tropics
and subtropics,
577
00:25:33,875 --> 00:25:35,500
{\an1}far to the north and east.
578
00:25:36,417 --> 00:25:39,042
{\an1}The animals that the Japanese
classify are all from places
579
00:25:39,208 --> 00:25:42,000
{\an1}with lots of water,
like the coast or rainy jungle.
580
00:25:42,083 --> 00:25:45,208
{\an1}So, sure enough, they seem
to be identifying a pattern,
581
00:25:45,333 --> 00:25:48,583
{\an1}and the team believes that water
is the key to understanding
582
00:25:48,708 --> 00:25:49,833
{\an1}the purpose of the Lines.
583
00:25:51,375 --> 00:25:54,042
{\an1}LAURENCE: Throughout history,
early civilizations
584
00:25:54,167 --> 00:25:57,667
{\an1}rely on an abundance of water
to grow food,
585
00:25:57,833 --> 00:26:01,125
{\an1}but the dry desert conditions
of the Nazca region
586
00:26:01,208 --> 00:26:03,167
{\an1}offer almost none.
587
00:26:03,292 --> 00:26:05,500
{\an1}FORREST: The very reason
these Lines have survived
588
00:26:05,625 --> 00:26:07,917
{\an1}so long is because the area
is so dry.
589
00:26:08,042 --> 00:26:11,333
{\an1}It only gets rain for maybe 20
minutes a year. 20 minutes.
590
00:26:11,500 --> 00:26:14,667
{\an1}So what do you do in a place
where you don't get any rain,
591
00:26:14,750 --> 00:26:16,000
{\an1}yet you desperately need it?
592
00:26:16,125 --> 00:26:18,333
{\an1}For many ancient societies,
you pray.
593
00:26:18,417 --> 00:26:21,958
{\an1}♪ ♪
594
00:26:22,042 --> 00:26:24,333
{\an1}The Nazca are
a priestly society,
595
00:26:24,500 --> 00:26:26,208
{\an1}a deeply religious society.
596
00:26:26,333 --> 00:26:29,208
{\an1}We know this from the huge
religious complex at Cahuachi,
597
00:26:29,333 --> 00:26:31,500
{\an1}which is like the Vatican
for the Nazca people
598
00:26:31,625 --> 00:26:33,125
{\an1}and the whole coast of Peru.
599
00:26:33,208 --> 00:26:35,542
{\an1}The geoglyphs that surround it
seem connected
600
00:26:35,667 --> 00:26:38,000
{\an1}to the complex
and the rituals performed there.
601
00:26:38,125 --> 00:26:40,542
{\an1}And the Japanese team believes
all of it is centered
602
00:26:40,708 --> 00:26:42,500
{\an1}around begging the gods
for rain.
603
00:26:43,167 --> 00:26:46,083
{\an1}CAROLINE: The location
of Cahuachi is not an accident.
604
00:26:46,208 --> 00:26:49,542
{\an1}There's actually a river
that runs through the area
605
00:26:49,667 --> 00:26:51,667
{\an1}and across this stretch
of desert,
606
00:26:51,750 --> 00:26:54,000
{\an1}the river runs underground.
607
00:26:54,167 --> 00:26:58,125
{\an1}It only emerges above ground
again as it enters the lowlands,
608
00:26:58,208 --> 00:27:01,667
{\an1}right on the spot
where Cahuachi's located.
609
00:27:01,750 --> 00:27:04,458
{\an1}This is where the water
is given back to the people.
610
00:27:04,542 --> 00:27:06,625
{\an1}And so this is
where they establish
611
00:27:06,708 --> 00:27:08,833
{\an1}their most important
pilgrimage shrine.
612
00:27:09,250 --> 00:27:11,458
{\an1}LAURENCE:
According to the Japanese team,
613
00:27:11,583 --> 00:27:14,125
{\an1}many of the Nazca Lines
are arranged
614
00:27:14,250 --> 00:27:17,833
{\an1}in a path that leads
directly to Cahuachi.
615
00:27:17,917 --> 00:27:20,167
{\an1}They're guiding
the people to their sacred place
616
00:27:20,250 --> 00:27:21,750
{\an1}for water rituals.
617
00:27:21,875 --> 00:27:23,958
{\an1}All along that pilgrimage route,
they would be saying
618
00:27:24,042 --> 00:27:26,208
{\an1}their prayers in the hopes
that these mystical animals
619
00:27:26,333 --> 00:27:28,083
{\an1}swould bring along
their region's rain.
620
00:27:28,208 --> 00:27:30,667
{\an1}Keep in mind, they're not
actually praying for the rain
621
00:27:30,750 --> 00:27:33,083
{\an1}to fall in the desert,
that won't help them.
622
00:27:33,208 --> 00:27:35,750
{\an1}They're praying for it to fall
in the surrounding highland
623
00:27:35,875 --> 00:27:38,292
{\an1}and coastal areas, where they
plant their fields.
624
00:27:38,417 --> 00:27:40,167
{\an1}CAROLINE: They're also
praying for the rain
625
00:27:40,292 --> 00:27:42,000
{\an1}to come peacefully.
626
00:27:42,167 --> 00:27:44,042
{\an1}The climate
along the Peruvian coast
627
00:27:44,208 --> 00:27:47,792
{\an1}can be unpredictable,
and sometimes catastrophic,
628
00:27:47,917 --> 00:27:52,458
{\an1}with wild deluges that cause
landslides and flooding,
629
00:27:52,583 --> 00:27:54,333
{\an1}wreaking havoc on the farmers.
630
00:27:54,458 --> 00:27:57,292
{\an1}So the whole belief system
with this pilgrimage
631
00:27:57,375 --> 00:27:59,417
{\an1}along the Nazca Lines
is centered around creating
632
00:27:59,542 --> 00:28:01,167
{\an1}a friendly, working relationship
633
00:28:01,292 --> 00:28:03,583
{\an1}with the gods
who control the weather.
634
00:28:03,708 --> 00:28:05,833
{\an1}These gods are invoked
and pleaded with
635
00:28:05,917 --> 00:28:08,375
{\an1}within the sacred spaces
of Cahuachi and the biomorphs.
636
00:28:08,542 --> 00:28:10,375
{\an1}♪ ♪
637
00:28:10,542 --> 00:28:13,750
{\an1}LAURENCE: The team identifies
the same species on rock art,
638
00:28:13,875 --> 00:28:17,333
{\an1}ceramics and textiles
from the area.
639
00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:19,833
{\an1}ALEXEI VRANICH: They even made
musical instruments
640
00:28:19,958 --> 00:28:21,833
{\an1}out of pottery.
641
00:28:21,958 --> 00:28:23,458
{\an1}FORREST:
It must be quite an elaborate
642
00:28:23,542 --> 00:28:25,833
{\an1}and celebratory process.
643
00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:29,000
{\an1}You can imagine hundreds
of people in colorful costumes,
644
00:28:29,167 --> 00:28:32,500
{\an1}performing ritual processions
or dances along the Nazca Lines,
645
00:28:32,625 --> 00:28:33,750
{\an1}accompanied by drums
and panpipes.
646
00:28:33,875 --> 00:28:34,667
{\an1}It's quite a spectacle.
647
00:28:34,792 --> 00:28:36,333
{\an1}♪ ♪
648
00:28:36,500 --> 00:28:38,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: There seems
to be one more connection
649
00:28:38,792 --> 00:28:40,667
{\an1}between the Lines and water.
650
00:28:40,792 --> 00:28:42,500
{\an1}The last thing they find
is that there are
651
00:28:42,625 --> 00:28:45,625
{\an1}several rock altars at the edges
of some of the clearings,
652
00:28:45,750 --> 00:28:47,333
{\an1}right by the Nazca Lines,
653
00:28:47,417 --> 00:28:50,292
{\an1}and inside the altars
there are crayfish claws,
654
00:28:50,417 --> 00:28:54,250
{\an1}crab skeletons, mollusk shells,
the remains of sea creatures
655
00:28:54,375 --> 00:28:57,208
{\an1}here, in the desert,
at 4,000 feet above sea level.
656
00:28:57,333 --> 00:28:58,667
{\an1}That's a bit surprising.
657
00:28:58,792 --> 00:29:00,458
{\an1}They're bringing these materials
658
00:29:00,542 --> 00:29:02,250
{\an1}from the largest
body of water,
659
00:29:02,375 --> 00:29:06,375
{\an1}the ocean, as a way
of asking the gods for water.
660
00:29:06,500 --> 00:29:09,542
{\an1}Once again, this supports
the Japanese theory.
661
00:29:09,708 --> 00:29:12,250
{\an1}The Nazca Lines were a place
for pilgrims to journey
662
00:29:12,375 --> 00:29:14,500
{\an1}from all around
in the hopes of summoning
663
00:29:14,583 --> 00:29:16,458
{\an1}their most sacred resource.
664
00:29:22,292 --> 00:29:25,917
{\an1}LAURENCE: In 2019,
Japanese scientists revealed
665
00:29:26,042 --> 00:29:28,292
{\an1}their belief
that the Nazca Lines
666
00:29:28,375 --> 00:29:31,125
{\an1}were created
as a prayer for rain,
667
00:29:31,208 --> 00:29:33,792
{\an1}a plea
that unfortunately failed.
668
00:29:34,458 --> 00:29:36,208
{\an1}In the early fifth century,
669
00:29:36,333 --> 00:29:39,292
{\an1}this culture suffers their
most extreme drought of all.
670
00:29:39,417 --> 00:29:42,250
{\an1}It's so bad
that Cahuachi is abandoned.
671
00:29:42,375 --> 00:29:45,458
{\an1}There's no more sacred city for
their rain and water rituals,
672
00:29:45,583 --> 00:29:47,500
{\an1}no place for a pilgrimage.
673
00:29:47,625 --> 00:29:50,000
{\an1}But after the drought,
there are still artifacts
674
00:29:50,125 --> 00:29:51,750
{\an1}and human remains
that suggest people
675
00:29:51,875 --> 00:29:53,917
{\an1}were still coming
to the Nazca Lines.
676
00:29:54,042 --> 00:29:55,333
{\an1}So I think when you start
to make theories
677
00:29:55,417 --> 00:29:57,333
{\an1}about the Nazca Lines
and their purpose,
678
00:29:57,458 --> 00:30:00,125
{\an1}you have to split them
into two distinct periods.
679
00:30:00,208 --> 00:30:02,167
{\an1}What were they used for
before the drought
680
00:30:02,292 --> 00:30:04,125
{\an1}and what were
they used for after?
681
00:30:05,167 --> 00:30:06,667
{\an1}I think before the drought,
682
00:30:06,792 --> 00:30:08,333
{\an1}the 2019 theory
about the prayers
683
00:30:08,458 --> 00:30:10,833
{\an1}for rain is probably
one of the best options.
684
00:30:10,917 --> 00:30:12,500
{\an1}That seems to check
all the boxes.
685
00:30:13,458 --> 00:30:15,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: As for their use
after the drought?
686
00:30:15,833 --> 00:30:19,417
{\an1}A scientist in the mid-1990s
thinks he's figured it out.
687
00:30:20,792 --> 00:30:22,583
{\an1}MICHELE: So in 1996,
David Johnson,
688
00:30:22,708 --> 00:30:24,375
{\an1}who is an American scientist,
689
00:30:24,500 --> 00:30:27,583
{\an1}traveled down to this region
and he is the first
690
00:30:27,708 --> 00:30:30,500
{\an1}to really recognize these large,
691
00:30:30,625 --> 00:30:32,333
{\an1}almost well-like structures
692
00:30:32,417 --> 00:30:35,125
{\an1}in the desert,
that we call puquios.
693
00:30:35,208 --> 00:30:37,042
{\an1}FORREST: The puquios
are the spiral-shaped
694
00:30:37,167 --> 00:30:39,000
{\an1}stone staircases
around a hole
695
00:30:39,167 --> 00:30:41,292
{\an1}that leads underground
to stone-reinforced tunnels
696
00:30:41,375 --> 00:30:43,667
{\an1}under the earth,
lined with waterproof clay.
697
00:30:44,542 --> 00:30:45,833
{\an1}MICHAEL: The locals
really talk about these
698
00:30:45,917 --> 00:30:47,875
{\an1}as connected
to an irrigation system,
699
00:30:48,042 --> 00:30:49,875
{\an1}a way of getting water
to flow throughout the area.
700
00:30:50,042 --> 00:30:52,375
{\an1}One of the interesting things
is how old they are.
701
00:30:52,542 --> 00:30:54,833
{\an1}They date back at least
to the 6th century
702
00:30:54,958 --> 00:30:56,500
{\an1}and they're really connected
with the ending
703
00:30:56,667 --> 00:31:00,167
{\an1}of this massive drought
that decimated the area.
704
00:31:00,250 --> 00:31:01,833
{\an1}FORREST: Johnson realizes
there's a connection
705
00:31:01,958 --> 00:31:03,917
{\an1}between the Nazca Lines
and these puquios,
706
00:31:04,042 --> 00:31:06,542
{\an1}and starts working
on a theory of his own.
707
00:31:06,667 --> 00:31:09,917
{\an1}He believes, after the drought,
the Nazca people repurposed
708
00:31:10,042 --> 00:31:12,083
{\an1}their famous Lines
and created a map for one
709
00:31:12,208 --> 00:31:13,750
{\an1}of the world's
most sophisticated systems
710
00:31:13,875 --> 00:31:15,125
{\an1}of water management.
711
00:31:15,208 --> 00:31:19,042
{\an1}♪ ♪
712
00:31:19,167 --> 00:31:21,875
{\an1}LAURENCE: Johnson finds
two underground water sources
713
00:31:22,042 --> 00:31:24,917
{\an1}in the Nazca desert
to support his theory.
714
00:31:25,042 --> 00:31:26,833
{\an1}The first are rivers,
which flow down
715
00:31:26,917 --> 00:31:30,167
{\an1}from the mountains before going
underground through this region.
716
00:31:30,292 --> 00:31:33,000
{\an1}The second are geological
fault lines that run
717
00:31:33,167 --> 00:31:35,000
{\an1}north to south
that bring up their own water
718
00:31:35,125 --> 00:31:36,833
{\an1}from deeper beneath
the water table.
719
00:31:36,958 --> 00:31:38,167
{\an1}When you look at this area,
720
00:31:38,250 --> 00:31:39,875
{\an1}not only is it
one of the driest,
721
00:31:40,042 --> 00:31:42,208
{\an1}it's also one of the most
seismically active areas,
722
00:31:42,375 --> 00:31:44,875
{\an1}and so there's actually a lot
of fault lines in this region.
723
00:31:45,042 --> 00:31:48,000
{\an1}FORREST: Johnson notices lots of
this area's ancient settlements
724
00:31:48,167 --> 00:31:50,417
{\an1}are located right next
to faults and that there's
725
00:31:50,542 --> 00:31:53,208
{\an1}usually a puquio system
there, in that spot, to tap
726
00:31:53,333 --> 00:31:56,167
{\an1}into its water source,
and right on top of the faults,
727
00:31:56,333 --> 00:31:59,000
{\an1}in almost every case,
he finds there are
728
00:31:59,167 --> 00:32:00,417
{\an1}Nazca Lines marking their paths.
729
00:32:01,375 --> 00:32:03,583
{\an1}The geometric shapes were
designed to track and locate
730
00:32:03,708 --> 00:32:06,083
{\an1}underground water sources.
731
00:32:06,208 --> 00:32:09,750
{\an1}So, in this process,
it's a way for the Nazca people
732
00:32:09,875 --> 00:32:11,167
{\an1}to take control
of the water,
733
00:32:11,292 --> 00:32:12,917
{\an1}instead of just
leaving it up to chance,
734
00:32:13,042 --> 00:32:15,833
{\an1}as to whether or not rain
or runoff will show up.
735
00:32:16,917 --> 00:32:20,042
{\an1}These puquios ensure a reliable
supply of water year-round,
736
00:32:20,208 --> 00:32:22,333
{\an1}meaning they're able to turn
this arid desert
737
00:32:22,458 --> 00:32:25,500
{\an1}into arable farmland strictly
through their own ingenuity.
738
00:32:27,208 --> 00:32:31,042
{\an1}LAURENCE: This method is not
just relegated to antiquity.
739
00:32:31,167 --> 00:32:33,083
{\an1}Johnson is impressed
the locals are
740
00:32:33,208 --> 00:32:34,583
{\an1}still using the system
the Nazca created
741
00:32:34,708 --> 00:32:36,500
{\an1}some 1,500 years later.
742
00:32:36,625 --> 00:32:38,333
{\an1}There are around
30 of these puquios
743
00:32:38,458 --> 00:32:40,250
{\an1}still in use
in the Nazca Valley.
744
00:32:40,375 --> 00:32:42,625
{\an1}But it really takes a lot
of constant repair and work.
745
00:32:42,708 --> 00:32:46,125
{\an1}So many are falling apart
and, you know, are out of use,
746
00:32:46,208 --> 00:32:47,458
{\an1}but they are still usable
747
00:32:47,583 --> 00:32:49,000
{\an1}where they've been
taken care of.
748
00:32:49,542 --> 00:32:51,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: Johnson shares
his insight
749
00:32:51,792 --> 00:32:54,042
{\an1}with archeologist Donald Proulx
750
00:32:54,208 --> 00:32:57,542
{\an1}and hydrologist Stephen Mabee.
751
00:32:58,292 --> 00:33:00,083
{\an1}FORREST:
From 1996 to 2000,
752
00:33:00,208 --> 00:33:02,167
{\an1}they form
the Nazca Lines Project,
753
00:33:02,250 --> 00:33:04,042
{\an1}plotting the course
of several faults to look
754
00:33:04,208 --> 00:33:06,000
{\an1}for correlations with the Lines,
755
00:33:06,125 --> 00:33:09,125
{\an1}and they're able
to confirm Johnson's ideas.
756
00:33:09,250 --> 00:33:12,667
{\an1}In almost every case they study,
they find Nazca Lines
757
00:33:12,833 --> 00:33:14,333
{\an1}charting the path
of the faults
758
00:33:14,458 --> 00:33:17,500
{\an1}and pointing to where the faults
cross adjacent ridges.
759
00:33:17,583 --> 00:33:21,000
{\an1}As they finished it, they really
came away feeling like they had
760
00:33:21,083 --> 00:33:23,500
{\an1}solved one of archeology's
greatest mysteries.
761
00:33:24,417 --> 00:33:27,000
{\an1}If this theory is correct,
the Nazcans have created a map
762
00:33:27,083 --> 00:33:28,500
{\an1}of the underground
water sources,
763
00:33:28,667 --> 00:33:31,500
{\an1}which they can now
tap into to survive.
764
00:33:31,667 --> 00:33:33,250
{\an1}It's like
your local water utility map
765
00:33:33,375 --> 00:33:35,000
{\an1}on a one to one scale.
766
00:33:35,167 --> 00:33:37,458
{\an1}This is a complex
but effective way of recording
767
00:33:37,583 --> 00:33:40,208
{\an1}knowledge onto the earth
for later generations to use.
768
00:33:41,042 --> 00:33:43,458
{\an1}LAURENCE: But what about
the animal shapes?
769
00:33:43,542 --> 00:33:45,667
{\an1}CAROLINE: This is why
we think the Nazca Lines
770
00:33:45,833 --> 00:33:47,333
{\an1}may have been repurposed.
771
00:33:47,417 --> 00:33:50,375
{\an1}The animal shapes began
as symbolic prayers
772
00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:53,500
{\an1}or offerings to bring rainfall.
773
00:33:53,667 --> 00:33:56,208
{\an1}LAURENCE: According to Johnson,
they eventually become part
774
00:33:56,333 --> 00:33:58,500
{\an1}of the system as well.
775
00:33:59,208 --> 00:34:01,083
{\an1}While the most important
mapping of the irrigation system
776
00:34:01,208 --> 00:34:02,958
{\an1}is done with geometric shapes,
777
00:34:03,042 --> 00:34:04,792
{\an1}Johnson writes
that the animal figures
778
00:34:04,917 --> 00:34:07,542
{\an1}might have been used to name
the different water sources
779
00:34:07,708 --> 00:34:10,500
{\an1}or indicate
where they change direction.
780
00:34:10,625 --> 00:34:13,875
{\an1}CAROLINE: These puquios are
an incredible achievement,
781
00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,167
{\an1}and the Nazca Lines
are a huge part
782
00:34:16,333 --> 00:34:19,333
{\an1}of what makes them
function as a system.
783
00:34:19,417 --> 00:34:21,792
{\an1}People still thrive
in a desert area
784
00:34:21,875 --> 00:34:25,042
{\an1}because of the knowledge
they receive from the Lines.
785
00:34:25,208 --> 00:34:28,792
{\an1}A map for survival
written in the sands.
786
00:34:28,917 --> 00:34:30,125
{\an1}♪ ♪
787
00:34:35,208 --> 00:34:37,000
{\an1}LAURENCE:
Over the last century,
788
00:34:37,125 --> 00:34:38,500
{\an1}the world has marveled
789
00:34:38,625 --> 00:34:40,833
{\an1}at the many
impressive achievements
790
00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:42,542
{\an1}of the Nazca people.
791
00:34:42,667 --> 00:34:44,667
{\an1}The Lines themselves
are incredible,
792
00:34:44,750 --> 00:34:47,500
{\an1}but we can't forget about
all of the other interesting
793
00:34:47,667 --> 00:34:50,792
{\an1}artifacts and features that have
been found in this region.
794
00:34:50,917 --> 00:34:53,333
{\an1}There are some of the world's
finest textiles
795
00:34:53,458 --> 00:34:55,292
{\an1}with incredibly
elaborate designs.
796
00:34:55,375 --> 00:34:57,625
{\an1}There's beautifully made
pottery.
797
00:34:57,708 --> 00:34:59,708
{\an1}MICHELE: There are hundreds
of mummies that are
798
00:34:59,833 --> 00:35:03,083
{\an1}way better preserved than what
we even see in ancient Egypt.
799
00:35:03,208 --> 00:35:04,958
{\an1}FORREST:
And there's a centuries-old
800
00:35:05,042 --> 00:35:07,292
{\an1}underground water management
system that works so well,
801
00:35:07,375 --> 00:35:08,958
{\an1}it's still in use today.
802
00:35:09,083 --> 00:35:10,167
{\an1}♪ ♪
803
00:35:10,292 --> 00:35:11,667
{\an1}LAURENCE: But there's also
804
00:35:11,750 --> 00:35:13,708
{\an1}a much more
disturbing discovery.
805
00:35:14,875 --> 00:35:17,500
{\an1}MICHAEL: About 90 years ago,
Alfred Lewis Kroeber,
806
00:35:17,625 --> 00:35:19,958
{\an1}an anthropologist,
was studying in the area,
807
00:35:20,083 --> 00:35:24,125
{\an1}and what he found was
a collection of severed heads.
808
00:35:24,250 --> 00:35:27,500
{\an1}MICHELE: So these heads
are really well-preserved,
809
00:35:27,625 --> 00:35:29,292
{\an1}much like the mummies
that we find
810
00:35:29,375 --> 00:35:31,333
{\an1}in this region,
because of the lack of rain,
811
00:35:31,417 --> 00:35:33,500
{\an1}but what's interesting
about them is that they have
812
00:35:33,625 --> 00:35:36,500
{\an1}holes in the center
of their forehead.
813
00:35:36,583 --> 00:35:38,458
{\an1}And what we think
these holes were for
814
00:35:38,542 --> 00:35:43,708
{\an1}is to put a string so
that the head could be carried.
815
00:35:43,875 --> 00:35:45,542
{\an1}FORREST: Experts have
long believed that these are
816
00:35:45,667 --> 00:35:48,167
{\an1}trophy heads,
taken from rivals during war,
817
00:35:48,250 --> 00:35:50,542
{\an1}and then carried around
and put on display.
818
00:35:50,708 --> 00:35:53,333
{\an1}Some heads are even found
next to full mummies,
819
00:35:53,458 --> 00:35:55,833
{\an1}and researchers believe
that a person might be buried
820
00:35:55,958 --> 00:35:58,500
{\an1}along with the trophy heads
they collected in life.
821
00:35:59,708 --> 00:36:01,250
{\an1}LAURENCE: For nearly a century,
822
00:36:01,375 --> 00:36:02,958
{\an1}these heads are thought
to belong
823
00:36:03,042 --> 00:36:05,000
{\an1}to enemies of the Nazca.
824
00:36:05,167 --> 00:36:09,167
{\an1}MICHELE: But years later,
a team of scientists, in 2009
825
00:36:09,292 --> 00:36:11,500
{\an1}undertook some studies
on these trophy heads
826
00:36:11,625 --> 00:36:13,375
{\an1}by using strontium analysis,
827
00:36:13,542 --> 00:36:16,375
{\an1}which can tell you
where a person
828
00:36:16,500 --> 00:36:19,917
{\an1}was originally born,
how that water in the ground was
829
00:36:20,042 --> 00:36:23,000
{\an1}incorporated into their bones
and into their teeth.
830
00:36:23,125 --> 00:36:26,708
{\an1}They were able to tell
where these heads originated.
831
00:36:26,833 --> 00:36:29,375
{\an1}Come to find out,
the severed trophy heads
832
00:36:29,500 --> 00:36:30,958
{\an1}come from other Nazcans.
833
00:36:31,042 --> 00:36:32,625
{\an1}♪ ♪
834
00:36:32,750 --> 00:36:35,000
{\an1}LAURENCE: The finding leads
some archeologists
835
00:36:35,125 --> 00:36:37,917
{\an1}to completely rethink
the Nazca Lines.
836
00:36:38,042 --> 00:36:40,333
{\an1}We have a feeling the Lines
are linked to rituals
837
00:36:40,458 --> 00:36:43,625
{\an1}or spirituality somehow,
and we have a feeling
838
00:36:43,750 --> 00:36:46,333
{\an1}they are linked to the precious
resource of water.
839
00:36:46,500 --> 00:36:49,125
{\an1}This new theory takes
all of that into account,
840
00:36:49,208 --> 00:36:51,000
{\an1}plus the fact
that we now have evidence
841
00:36:51,167 --> 00:36:53,083
{\an1}of local natives being beheaded.
842
00:36:53,208 --> 00:36:56,167
{\an1}MICHAEL: What does this mean?
Well, according to archeologists
843
00:36:56,292 --> 00:36:58,500
{\an1}Donald Proulx
and Corina Kellner,
844
00:36:58,667 --> 00:37:01,792
{\an1}what you have is a situation
where the Nazca Lines
845
00:37:01,875 --> 00:37:04,208
{\an1}could be connected
to ritual human sacrifice.
846
00:37:04,375 --> 00:37:07,375
{\an1}♪ ♪
847
00:37:07,500 --> 00:37:09,083
{\an1}FORREST: If you examine
the images
848
00:37:09,208 --> 00:37:11,042
{\an1}on pottery and textiles
from the Nazca,
849
00:37:11,167 --> 00:37:13,292
{\an1}trophy heads are everywhere.
850
00:37:13,417 --> 00:37:14,875
{\an1}Sometimes they're shown
with plants sprouting
851
00:37:15,042 --> 00:37:17,500
{\an1}from them, which indicate
they were likely buried
852
00:37:17,583 --> 00:37:20,083
{\an1}to increase
agricultural fertility.
853
00:37:20,208 --> 00:37:22,792
{\an1}As we know now,
these are local Nazcans.
854
00:37:22,875 --> 00:37:24,667
{\an1}They're not people
from other areas,
855
00:37:24,792 --> 00:37:27,875
{\an1}so they presumably were
not taken in war or battle.
856
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:31,667
{\an1}These are people who have freely
participated in the process
857
00:37:31,792 --> 00:37:34,833
{\an1}and in the ritual
to help their own community.
858
00:37:35,708 --> 00:37:37,417
{\an1}LAURENCE:
According to this theory,
859
00:37:37,542 --> 00:37:41,708
{\an1}the venue for these rituals
is the Nazca Lines.
860
00:37:42,208 --> 00:37:44,500
{\an1}When we look
at the geometric figures,
861
00:37:44,625 --> 00:37:46,792
{\an1}we realize there are
these giant open spaces,
862
00:37:46,875 --> 00:37:50,125
{\an1}and these are potentially
the arenas
863
00:37:50,208 --> 00:37:51,958
{\an1}for these ritual sacrifices,
864
00:37:52,083 --> 00:37:54,000
{\an1}whether they were battles
that were played out
865
00:37:54,167 --> 00:37:56,125
{\an1}or other ritual actions.
866
00:37:56,250 --> 00:38:00,542
{\an1}In the Andean culture, warfare
is actually linked to fertility,
867
00:38:00,667 --> 00:38:04,000
{\an1}and the losers of battle
are sacrificed to the gods
868
00:38:04,125 --> 00:38:05,667
{\an1}to help with that fertility.
869
00:38:05,833 --> 00:38:08,042
{\an1}FORREST: This is all part
of a religious attempt
870
00:38:08,208 --> 00:38:09,375
{\an1}to draw in water.
871
00:38:09,542 --> 00:38:11,292
{\an1}As the team dates
the trophy heads,
872
00:38:11,417 --> 00:38:13,833
{\an1}they feel more confident
about this theory,
873
00:38:13,917 --> 00:38:16,708
{\an1}because, right when the major
drought hits the region
874
00:38:16,875 --> 00:38:19,875
{\an1}the number of trophy heads
increases dramatically.
875
00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:23,417
{\an1}They start doing this ritual
more and more in desperation.
876
00:38:24,542 --> 00:38:28,292
{\an1}LAURENCE: In 2022,
a Polish research team finds
877
00:38:28,375 --> 00:38:31,333
{\an1}further proof
to support this theory.
878
00:38:31,417 --> 00:38:33,167
{\an1}FORREST:
This team tests hair samples
879
00:38:33,250 --> 00:38:34,542
{\an1}from the Nazca trophy heads
880
00:38:34,708 --> 00:38:36,333
{\an1}and finds that,
before their deaths,
881
00:38:36,458 --> 00:38:38,958
{\an1}the victims ingested
San Pedro cactus,
882
00:38:39,083 --> 00:38:40,625
{\an1}which contains mescaline.
883
00:38:40,750 --> 00:38:42,458
{\an1}MICHAEL: Right before
the victims were killed
884
00:38:42,583 --> 00:38:44,875
{\an1}or sacrificed,
as part of the ritual,
885
00:38:45,042 --> 00:38:47,625
{\an1}they were given this
hallucinogen to prepare them.
886
00:38:48,542 --> 00:38:50,375
{\an1}FORREST: You find images
of the San Pedro cactus
887
00:38:50,500 --> 00:38:52,667
{\an1}everywhere in Nazca iconography.
888
00:38:52,792 --> 00:38:54,833
{\an1}FORREST: This plant is clearly
important to their religion,
889
00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:56,542
{\an1}and now we have proof
that it's involved
890
00:38:56,708 --> 00:38:58,792
{\an1}in their rituals
of taking trophy heads.
891
00:38:59,708 --> 00:39:01,708
{\an1}MICHAEL: The idea is
that the Nazca would gather
892
00:39:01,875 --> 00:39:05,167
{\an1}at the Lines
in these ritual spaces.
893
00:39:05,333 --> 00:39:07,292
{\an1}They would participate
in the rituals,
894
00:39:07,375 --> 00:39:09,458
{\an1}ingest the hallucinogenic drug.
895
00:39:09,583 --> 00:39:11,750
{\an1}This would put them
in a trance-like state
896
00:39:11,875 --> 00:39:14,667
{\an1}and prepare them to engage
in the ritual battle.
897
00:39:14,792 --> 00:39:17,625
{\an1}At the end of the battle,
the trophy heads would then be
898
00:39:17,708 --> 00:39:19,708
{\an1}buried with the hopes
of inspiring
899
00:39:19,833 --> 00:39:21,792
{\an1}the gods to bring water
to the area.
900
00:39:22,750 --> 00:39:24,875
{\an1}LAURENCE: But this is far
from the final word
901
00:39:25,042 --> 00:39:27,750
{\an1}on the Nazca Lines.
902
00:39:27,875 --> 00:39:30,625
{\an1}FORREST: Maybe the Lines
were ritual battlefields,
903
00:39:30,750 --> 00:39:32,750
{\an1}but I don't think
that's all they ever were.
904
00:39:32,875 --> 00:39:35,292
{\an1}There's a good chance
they serve multiple functions.
905
00:39:35,375 --> 00:39:37,000
{\an1}It's like roads today.
906
00:39:37,125 --> 00:39:39,500
{\an1}Yes, they move people
from one place to another,
907
00:39:39,583 --> 00:39:41,417
{\an1}but we also stage parades
down them.
908
00:39:41,542 --> 00:39:43,333
{\an1}We block them off
for music festivals.
909
00:39:43,500 --> 00:39:46,042
{\an1}We bury our water
pipes beneath them.
910
00:39:46,167 --> 00:39:49,458
{\an1}This seems like a more logical
way to view the Nazca Lines.
911
00:39:49,542 --> 00:39:50,625
{\an1}MICHAEL: Are we ever really
going to know
912
00:39:50,750 --> 00:39:52,500
{\an1}what the Lines were used for?
913
00:39:52,625 --> 00:39:54,208
{\an1}Probably not, and that's okay.
914
00:39:54,333 --> 00:39:55,625
{\an1}That's what's exciting
about them.
915
00:39:55,750 --> 00:39:58,208
{\an1}But one thing
we definitely know
916
00:39:58,333 --> 00:39:59,792
{\an1}is the amazing feat
of engineering
917
00:39:59,875 --> 00:40:01,333
{\an1}that these Lines represent.
918
00:40:01,417 --> 00:40:03,208
{\an1}They were clearly
very, very important
919
00:40:03,375 --> 00:40:04,333
{\an1}to the people of the time.
920
00:40:04,500 --> 00:40:05,958
{\an1}They cared deeply about them,
921
00:40:06,083 --> 00:40:08,208
{\an1}went to great lengths
to build them,
922
00:40:08,375 --> 00:40:12,667
{\an1}and it is a real testament
to human ingenuity, creativity,
923
00:40:12,792 --> 00:40:15,625
{\an1}and ability
to build amazing things.
924
00:40:17,875 --> 00:40:21,000
{\an1}Despite their
2,000 year-old history,
925
00:40:21,083 --> 00:40:24,000
{\an1}more Nazca Lines are
still being discovered.
926
00:40:24,167 --> 00:40:29,625
{\an1}A never before seen cat figure
was found as recently as 2020.
927
00:40:29,750 --> 00:40:33,708
{\an1}Perhaps new evidence can finally
reveal their true purpose.
928
00:40:33,833 --> 00:40:35,792
{\an1}I'm Laurence Fishburne.
929
00:40:35,875 --> 00:40:39,250
{\an1}Thank you for watching
"History's Greatest Mysteries."
930
00:40:39,375 --> 00:40:43,500
{\an1}♪ ♪
103006
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