Archaeologists working in Peru, assisted by artificial intelligence, have discovered 303 previously unknown giant symbols carved in the Nazca Desert.
The carvings include birds, plants, spiders, humanlike figures with headdresses, decapitated heads and an orca wielding a knife.
Described in study published Monday in the journal PNAS, the discovery almost doubles the number of known Nazca geoglyphs, mysterious artworks formed in the ground by moving stones or gravel that date back some 2,000 years. The researchers’ findings also shed some light on the symbols’ enigmatic purpose.
Located 50 kilometers (31 miles) inland from Peru’s south coast, the huge symbols were found in the desert beginning in the early 20th century. Some 500 meters (1,640 feet) above sea level, the geoglyphs have survived the ages because the dry desert region is sparsely populated, not affected by flooding and unsuitable for growing crops.