A Cat from the Past-Rachael Berghahn

A Cat from the Past

The Nazca Lines is a UNESCO heritage site in Peru, that stretches for 174 miles and features many ancient depictions of animals, including a hummingbird, monkey, and an orca. These drawings are found in a desert plain, between the towns of Nazca and Palpa, and about 250 miles southeast of Lima, the capital of Peru. This site was discovered in 1927 by a Peruvian aerial surveyor, and more pictures, otherwise know as geoglyphs, have continued to be discovered.

Recently, a new illustration has been discovered by geologists at this site, which is the drawing of a massive cat. This picture was released in mid-October by the Peruvian government, which was the first time the rest of the world was able to see it. The image is carved into a hillside and exhibits a lounging cat, with big ears and a striped tail. The illustration is 121 feet long, and its lines range from 12 to 16 inches in width. This is thought to be the oldest geoglyph on the site, as it may date back to sometime between 200 B.C. to 100 B.C. It is thought to have been created by the Pacaras, who also often illustrated cats on their ceramics and textiles. 

Images, such as this cat, were created by people scraping away at gravel until they brought bedrock to the surface. This cat was about to disappear, due to erosion, as it is located on a hill, however, archaeologists were able to find and restore it before it was erased from history. These sites are incredibly fragile and can be easily destroyed by a stray footprint. 

No exact reason for all of these ancient pictures is known, however, they are speculated to have been for ritual astronomical reasons, or to be used as travel markers. Experts still have a lot to learn about these sites, as it is hard to piece together the whole story with little information. However, the finding and restoration of this cat brings experts closer to understanding more about people from our past, which is the key to securing a better future.

Works Cited

May, Tiffany. “2,000-Year-Old Cat Etching Found at Nazca Lines Site in Peru.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 19 Oct. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/10/19/world/americas/peru-cat-nazca-lines-nasca.html.

Yancey-Bragg, N'dea. “Archaeologists Find Huge 2,000-Year-Old Cat Image Carved into Peru Hillside.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 20 Oct. 2020, www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2020/10/19/2000-year-old-cat-carved-into-hillside-peru/3708743001/.