‘Deep Scars’ as Trucker Drives Across Peru’s 2,000-Year-Old Nazca Lines
A 2,000-year-old United Nations World Heritage Site in Peru was damaged this week when a trucker intentionally drove his tractor-trailer off a roadway that runs through the protected historic area, the…
From the USA News Group archive. This article dates from Feb 1, 2018 and is preserved as first published.
A 2,000-year-old United Nations World Heritage Site in Peru was damaged this week when a trucker intentionally drove his tractor-trailer off a roadway that runs through the protected historic area, the authorities said.
The site, the famed Nazca Lines, is a sprawling series of images scratched into the surface of a coastal plain about 225 miles south of Lima, the capital. The site was created between 500 B.C. and A.D. 500, and is the world’s best-known example of geoglyphs — large designs created by arranging rocks or altering the landscape — that depict animals, plants and other figures.
The truck driver, Jainer Jesús Flores Vigo, was arrested and is expected to be charged with an “attack against cultural heritage,” according to the government-owned news outlet Andina.
The Nazca Lines, created by a pre-Inca civilization, are believed to have been used for religious and ceremonial gatherings for hundreds of years. From the ground, the lines are nearly impossible to identify; their true splendor is best viewed from above.
The Nazca Lines, created by a pre-Inca civilization, are believed to have been used for religious and ceremonial gatherings for hundreds of years.
The Pan-American Highway that runs through the protected site has left it increasingly vulnerable to human actions, according to the United Nations.
In this week’s episode, the truck driver diverted off the highway, past signs indicating the preserved status of the site, and left “deep scars” in an area of more than 100 feet by 300 feet.
The truck damaged three straight-line geoglyphs on the site, according to a statement from Peru’s culture minister. Experts are assessing the damage.
Aerial photos show tire tracks veering off the highway and onto the plain.
It is not the first time a vehicle has crossed into the protected site, or the first time the site has been notably damaged. Visible in the image above are several other tire tracks as well as a small security booth set up to monitor the area. The booth is staffed only during the day time, according to Andina, and drivers often cut through the plain.
In 2014, the Nazca Lines were damaged in another high-profile episode that ignited international outrage. Greenpeace activists damaged the site with their footprints when they trekked onto the plain to unveil a sign ahead of United Nations climate talks in Lima.
The authorities vowed to increase patrols after this week’s incident.
“While the Culture Ministry monitors areas with the largest concentration of geoglyphs every day, it may not be fully protected,” Johnny Isla, an archaeologist with the Culture Ministry, told Andina. “Entry and transit are possible through valleys and streams where the archaeological area spreads out.”
Mr. Isla said that the most recent damage to the site was “reparable.”
