Rated
Jan 21 2009
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3 reviews
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archaeology, science, nazca lines, geoglyphs, eclipsology
• newscientist.com
The New Scientist magazine just published this interesting article about how the people of the ancient Nazca culture of Peru may have used the Nazca Lines and geoglyphs for ritual purposes. This theory is not new but the New Scientist article presents new scientific "hard evidence" (in every sense of the phrase) which lends support to this highly plausible Nazca Lines theory. This theory is entirely compatible with, and complementary to my own Nazca Lines as religious response to total solar eclipse phenomena theory. Here is the comment that I just successfully submitted to this web page, not inappropriately on Woden's Day. . .
The Nazca Lines As Religious Response To The Total Solar Eclipse "Eye Of God" Theory
Wed Jan 21 19:31:40 GMT 2009 by Robin Edgar
This theory is highly plausible but it does not explain why the Nazca culture aka Nasca culture "Indians" created gigantic biomorph geoglyphs that are best viewed from high in the air by an "Eye in the Sky" as it were. My research into the Nazca Lines shows that an unusually high number of total solar eclipses took place in the skies above Peru during the time frame that the Nazca Lines and biomorph geoglyphs were constructed. It is a readily verifiable fact that the totally eclipsed sun distinctly resembles the pupil and iris of a gigantic "Eye in the Sky" staring down from the heavens. Noted American astronomer perceived a 1980's total solar eclipse's striking similarity to an eye and was inspired to utter these words -
"I look up. Incredible! It is the eye of God. A perfectly black disk, ringed with bright spiky streamers that stretch out in all directions."
Jack B. Zirker Astronomer Emeritus
Sacramento Peak - National Solar Observatory
It is highly probable, indeed all but certain, that the Nazca Indians noticed the totally eclipsed sun's remarkable similarity to an "Eye of God" and responded to this profound cosmic symbolism by creating gigantic artworks for the viewing pleasure of this "Eye in the Sky" which they may have considered to be a god in its own right, separate from the sun and the moon which they almost certainly considered to be sky gods as did most preColumbian civilizations.
Some total solar eclipses display a bird-like form in the sun's corona and it is notable that a high percentage of the biomorph geoglyphs depict birds and some of these bird geoglyphs are directly aligned with or otherwise associated with solstice sunrise or sunset points. My research indicates that many ancient cultures transposed religious concepts and symbolism inspired by total solar eclipse phenomena onto the winter solstice which is a less spectacular but much more regularly occurring and predictable "death" and "rebirth" of the sun.
An older reasonably well illustrated version of my Nazca Lines total solar eclipse theory may be found on the following unauthorized website which none-the-less preserves much of what was lost when my eclipse lore websites went down a couple of years ago.
bibliotecapleyades.net/nazca/esp_lineas_nazca_16.htm [bibliotecapleyades.net/nazca/esp_lineas_nazca_16.htm]