Perspectives in the Pampa: ancient american huge ground drawings in Peru's desert

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Nazca: living along rivers in one of the dryest areas of the earth
The huge ground drawings (geoglyphs) of the Nazca Culture are found in a limited area of southern Peru, where it seldom rains in spite of the nearby sea, caused by a cold sea current parallel to the shore and by the bar of the Andes. The water necessary for living is brought exceptionally by the rivers coming from the more rainy higher mountains. Only the valleys can be used for agriculture.
Situation of the main spread area of geoglyphs (ground drawings) in southern Peru. Single areas with geoglyphs of Nazca type can also be found in the Río Ica drainage in the further northwest.
The Andes originated, when the submarine Nazca plate was pressed against the South American continental plate.
Origin of the Andes
150 Mill. years ago:
60 Mill. years ago: folding
today: rise and erosion
Spread of the Nazca type geoglyhs which can be found only in a partial area of the Nazca culture. Only the green marked river oasises were arable and had to be partly irrigated artificially. All around is desert. Actualized map
Orange are lines, red / dark red are trapezoid areas smaller / broader than 40 m, blue /dark blue are rectangular areas smaller / broader than 40 m. A so-called Inca road is marked yellow.
Klett Geographie Infothek 2002 Jens Aßmann, www.klett.de