NAZCA: DECODING THE RIDDLE OF THE LINES. TRAVELER'S EDITION:
LITERATURE REVIEW
For my fourth literature review, I wanted to analyze Brien Foerster's book Nazca: Decoding The Riddle of The Lines. Traveler's Edition. He created the book to provide the reader with a detailed account of the creation of the Nazca lines, the people who made them, and the multiple theories that attempt to explain why they were created. In doing so, his hope was that the reader would ponder all the possibilities and formulate their own opinions. Additionally, he used logic, archaeology, anthropology, and native oral traditions to explain the history of Nazcan culture and water resources. Foerster discusses the different cultures who lived on the Pampa, the time span of their existence, their religious beliefs, lifestyle and art. One culture in particular that he mentioned were the Paracas who preceded the Nazcans and were most known for having elongated skulls that were believed to be the result from artificial cranial deformation. A unique and interesting fact about the Paracas is that they were the only culture in the area to have red hair. This feature combined with their elongated skulls, shows that their culture could be distinguished from others using their distinct physical features. The Paracas were also experts at looming and created extremely complex and colorful fabrics that have been reputed by scholars to have been the best ever made in Peru. Additionally, they created very fine ceramics which have been noted to have markings that are similar to what is found in the Nazca lines. Not only were they well versed on textiles and ceramics, they were skillful at raising cotton and crops with limited water supply. They had an extensive knowledge of the underground waters that ran from the Andes to the Pacific Ocean and were adept at irrigation and water management. Furthermore, Brien Foerster also believes that more than one culture was responsible for the creation of the lines. Having been an expert on pre-Columbian Peru, he has said that the Paracas were responsible for the biomorphs while the Nazcans were responsible for the Nazca lines.
David Foerster pictured with a Paracas skull.
Brian Foerster is a Peruvian resident who has lived in the Nazca region and is an author of multiple books. He is a researcher who started exploring in 1995. Additionally, he is an authority on the pre-historic works of South America and the ancient native cultures which thrived in the area. His dream was to study the Inca culture of Peru, and he did just that. Foerster relocated to Peru and began working at the Paracas History Museum where he is currently assistant director. His research on Peruvian culture and background knowledge of the Nazca lines and theories, makes him a reliable source to quote and use within my research.
{This website I just came across was too cool not to include. Foerster also gives tours of ancient sites in Peru and his website can be found here: Hidden Inca Tours}
Quotes:
“...lines and other complex structures represent higher technological knowledge than commonly believed to be existing when the glyphs were created" (Foerster).
"Von Daniken brought the Nazca lines to public attention, especially with Chariots of the Gods, and attracting so many tourists that researcher Maria Reiche had to spend much of her own time and money preserving them" (Foerster).
"The fact that many of the lines follow underground water systems gives credence to the theories of Aveni and Johnson" (Foerster).
Key Terms:
1. Puquios: systems of subterranean aqueducts found in the coastal deserts of southern Peru and northern Chile
2. Aquifers: a body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater.
This book is very valuable to my research paper because it consists of the history of the Nazca lines along with every component that I have discussed in my essay so far. I was very impressed with how informative Foerster was and after reading parts of his book, I became even more fascinated with the lines. In addition to the archaeological and geological information, he provides an in-depth look into the cultures that inhabited the region in support of Johnson's theory.
Citation:
Foerster, Brien. Nazca: Decoding the Riddle of the Lines. Traveler's Edition. 1st ed., CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015.
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