Peruvian news daily, El Comercio, has reported damage to a group of lines on the Nazaca plateau.
According to the daily, heavy machinery owned by a firm removing limestone from the area is responsible for the damage. The company claims that the plant is on private property and that the owners have a right to carry out their operations.
Eduardo Herran Gomez de la Torre, director of research at Ojos de Condor says the damage in the area is extensive: "We have witnessed the irreparable destruction to a set of lines and trapezoids that existed in the area."
Commenting on the company's claims of land rights, Herran was quoted as saying: "The limestone firm responsible has not been sanctioned or supervised by the authorities of the Regional Directorate of Culture of Ica, despite being in this great archeological reserve."
The lines are located on an arid, coastal plain south of Lima, Peru. The plateau stretches more than fifty miles between the towns of Nazca and Palpa. Much controversy surrounds the origins and purpose of the Nazca lines. Some scientist believe the lines are related to water rituals, or perhaps, as directional lines to indicate water sources. Other theories propose that the lines are a form of Archeoastronomy used to track astronomical movements in ancient times.
Nazca was made famous in the field of Ancient Astronaut studies by researcher Erich Von Daniken, author of Chariots of the Gods. Von Daniken suggested that the lines were a result of technology beyond the scope of the native peoples of the region. He postulated that the lines were actually some type of "ancient runway", visible from space and created as a guide for extraterrestrial visitors.
The Nazca lines were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. They have been under threat for some time and face major conservation challenges. In 2012, they were added to the World Monuments Fund's watch list of cultural heritage sites at risk. The lines face danger from looters, mining operations, unregulated tourism and even changing weather patterns. They are considered an important site to the world as well as a significant tourist destination. The government of Peru has had a difficult time keeping the site safe and it is clear that new steps must be taken to preserve this valuable, historical location.
We must preserve the sacred of all cultures.The sacred which defines no boundaries or dogma for it's self against others of a different persuasion.The sacred which just "is",which is common to all,when it all comes down to it,outside of the masks of dogma.
ReplyDeleteI would think an outcry from scientists from around the world would be imminent if this is true. The limestone company should be fined & penalized for such an atrocity to a World Heritage Site; And if Peru does nothing they should be admonished also. It is an unacceptable act for monetary gain in my qpinion
ReplyDeleteThere is absolutely zero reason for any scientists to make an "outcry" about this outside of the reasons that the rest of us might speak out about it.
DeleteThe site is "protected". Much like gun laws, these protections only apply to those that follow the law. So archaeologists aren't allowed to take samples or do any studies that might at all disturb the Nazca lines. So I doubt that they or climatologists or physicists or any other scientists have any professional reason to give a crap.
It's sad when commercial interests defile ancient archeological sites, or sacred sites still revered by indigenous cultures.
ReplyDeleteExamples of this can be found here in Mexico. The New York Times recently uncovered the chain of corruption involved in the construction of a Walmart store near Teotihuacan —the federal authorities just went 'Meh' and did nothing— and currently the Huichol indians are fighting to preserve the Huiricuta mountain, the site of their yearly pilgrimage when they go to harvest peyote buds. Huiricuta is under threat because the land was leased to a Canadian mining company, and it's a very touchy subject because there are people who would welcome the jobs the foreign company would bring to that region.
Is it so deluded to think there can be a balance between economic growth & respect for our ancient heritage? :-/
I've long believed that commercial interests can get along with the need for historical and natural preservation. The problem is that all large companies and governments are run by greedy megalomaniacs. That's the only way you get to the top of the ladder. Politicians don't care a whit about conservation unless it affects how many votes they get or their place in the pecking order. The enterprise only supports saving important cultural and environmental sites when it distracts people from their other misdeeds. There's no denying the truth: those with the gold make the rules, and most of us are too busy, disinterested or lazy to do anything but cry and moan a bit when we hear their knocking down the pally. Very soon we go back to our everyday lives, and maybe something precious is lost forever. If we want to make a difference then we have to commit ourselves to using every tool the system provides. We also have to prove the cause is worthy, that the price for progress really IS too high and that future generations really will be cheated by change. Just remember that we can't save every monument or old building, preserve every acre of woodland or swamp. There are too many of us now, and very few humans are still living in harmony with their environment. Sure, it would be great if we could get the Third World to stop reproducing like rabbits and polluting without conscience - that would solve half the world's problems right there. But we all know that's impossible: they want what WE have. Sadly, the up-and-comers see the consumerist cultures of the developed world as something worth aspiring to. The powers-that-be don't understand that the only way you protect what's most important is with *global* standards for preservation. What good does it to if the western nations adopt strict controls on environmental and cultural protection? All the factories are in the developing world that gets a total pass on such agreements (or simply ignores them). You want to save the planet, and our history? There's only one way: anything that's made abroad MUST be produced under the standards of the countries doing most of importing (or better). That includes health, safety and respect for local culture. And the likelihood of that ever becoming law is zero.
ReplyDeleteOne problem with your grammar I think. You used the word "impossible", I would like to possibly correct you on a misuse of a word, unless you meant to discourage the masses. In my opinion it is not impossible, but rather improbable. Thanks.
DeleteFine the company? I've got a better idea: arrest, try, and imprison the greedy bastards whose bright idea it was to damage one of the most famous archaeological sites on the planet. The Nazca Lines touch something deep within people the world over. They ought to be listed among the Great Wonders of the Ancient World. The clowns who ordered this are nothing more than vandals in suits. And for what? So their gang-er-company (yeah, that's it--we're a COMPANY) can gather and sell--what--diamonds? Platinum? Gold? Uranium? No, something far rarer and more valuable: limestone! LIMESTONE?!?!! ARE THEY OUT OF THEIR @$#&ing minds??? Once they've served their time and paid reparations, the jerks should be made to personally restore, BY HAND, every rock, every pebble, every single grain of sand of every line or image they so shamelessly destroyed. Perhaps by then they will have learned to feel that shame.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, it's obviously well past time for the Peruvian government to do its job and protect this national, and global, treasure from any further human-caused destruction. If they are unable to adequately protect the site, I'm sure the U.N. would be willing to lend a hand.
"..and never the twain shall meet."
ReplyDeleteInteressante o fato do desenho do macaco possuir uma mão com 4 dedos e outra com 5 dedos, assim como o outro desenho de um humanoide localizado perto da estrada asfaltada que cruza o platô. Isso não é uma coincidência. Seria a representação de um ser híbrido, indicação de experiência genética? Os desenhos de Nazca são os maiores desenhos a cèu aberto já encontrados na Terra. Há um desenho em terceira dimensão ao norte do platô, que possui cerca de 2 Km de extensão. Uma maravilha da arqueologia.
ReplyDeleteAbraço a todos!