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Nazca Lines Hands

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description Nazca Lines Hands Overview

The Nazca Lines are a group of large geoglyphs located in the arid Nazca Desert of southern Peru, created by the Nazca culture between approximately 500 BCE and 500 CE. Among the hundreds of designs is a geoglyph commonly referred to as the Hands, depicting a set of hand-like figures. The designs were created by removing the dark iron-oxide-coated surface stones to expose the lighter-colored ground beneath. They are best viewed from elevation due to their scale.

help Nazca Lines Hands FAQ

What do the Nazca Lines Hands depict?

The Hands are a pair of large, stylized hand-like figures drawn into the desert surface near Nazca in southern Peru. They form part of the UNESCO-listed Lines and Geoglyphs of Nasca and Palpa.

When were the Nazca Hands created?

The Nazca geoglyphs were produced over a long period, broadly from around 200 BCE to 600 CE. NASA explains that the designs were made by removing the dark red surface stones to expose lighter soil underneath. [NASA](https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/nazca-lines-peru-5848/)

Are the Nazca Hands natural formations or drawings?

They are human-made geoglyphs, not natural rock formations or fossil impressions. The lines and figures were created by clearing the desert surface, which left the pale subsurface visible against the darker surrounding ground.

Why have the Nazca Hands survived for so long?

The Nazca Desert is extremely dry, so limited rainfall and vegetation reduce erosion compared with wetter landscapes. UNESCO added the Nazca and Palpa geoglyphs to the World Heritage List in 1994, although vehicle traffic and other human activity remain conservation concerns. [UNESCO](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/700/)

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