Nazca lines are mysterious earth drawings (hieroglyphs and geoglyphs) created between 400 and 650 CE by the indigenous peoples who lived on the plains northwest of what is now known as the Nazca Valley, a dry, windless, desert plateau high in Peru.
There are literally hundreds of stylized figures including insects and wildlife such as spiders, monkeys, several whales, fish and birds, dogs, religious or ceremonial symbols and plants.
The lines and figures are very large and most figures can only be recognized when viewed high in the air by plane, helicoptor, hot air balloon or satellite. In fact, they were not discovered until the 1920's when people in commercial airplane flights reported seeing many odd-looking "landing strips" on the desert floor below.
Why the peoples created these huge figures and hundreds of lines is unknown. Some people think the lines and drawings were used for ceremonious and religious purposes or to provide irrigation for crops. Other people believe the lines are ancient alien landing strips and the drawings were created to communicate with space ships.
The historic examples of Nazca images in Paper Crop Circles for Children web site are based upon common public domain images and in historical reference material. Parents and teachers may use these images for creating lesson plans and other educational purposes.
