- LIMA, Peru (AP) - Archeologists
have discovered a group of figures scraped into the hills of Peru's southern
coastal desert that are believed to predate the country's famous Nazca
lines.
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- About 50 giant figures were etched into the earth over
an area roughly 145 square kilometres near the city of Palpa, El Comercio
newspaper reported.
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- The drawings - which include human figures as well as
animals such as birds, monkeys, and felines - are believed to be created
by members of the Paracas Culture sometime between 600 and 100 B.C. Johny
Islas, the director of the Andean Institute of Archaeological Studies told
the newspaper.
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- One prominent figure appears to represent the main deity
of the Paracas Culture that is commonly depicted on textiles and ceramics
that date from the period, Islas said.
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- The recently discovered designs predate the country's
famous Nazca lines that cover a 56 kilometres stretch of desert that have
mystified scientists and were added to the United Nation's Cultural Heritage
list in 1994.
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- The Nazca culture flourished between 50 B.C. and 600
A.D., Islas said.
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- The lines - which also include pictographs of various
animals - are one of Peru's top tourist attractions with about 80,000 tourists
flying over the site every year.
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