ABSTRACT: Part 3 concludes News Release No. 2: “Nasca Geoglyph reveals Pre-Inca System of Linear and Spherical Measurement ” : the principle behind which was discovered and interpreted by the author of the Nascodex web-site, Archaeologist, William J Veall.

In Part 2 we explained how a gigantic rectilinear, compartmental geoglyph located in the Highlands above Palpa - for which we coined the term “Geometriglyph” - inextricably bound together the Nasca Lines and the Ceques System of Cusco by acting as a graphic mnemonic to plot the Nasca and Ceques lines in accord with (desired ) astronomical phenomena.

One aspect of the Nasca - Ceques lines ‘combo’ intrigued us: brought about after studying the extremely accurate survey published by Professor Anthony Aveni ( Ref: Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 183 . Ed. A.F. Aveni. Austin Texas University Press 1989 ). As Aveni’s survey data ( Table 3, Pages 76 to 80 incl.) essentially supported our Geometriglyph hypothesis - it was logical to consider that the same principles might also have been utilised to plot the positions of the 62 Line Centres surveyed and reported in MAPS Vol. 183.

PROGRAMME:
To an enlarged copy of the con-joint map: Fig III.17,” Line Centres and Early Intermediate Period locales of the Nasca Pampa” (.MAPS Vol.183, pp 142 - 43) were added very accurately drawn horizontal and vertical edge scales marked in the unit of measurement multiples derived from the Geometriglyph - as reported in Parts 1 and 2 .Even before completing 25% of horizontal and vertical co-ordinate plots (black dotted lines in Fig. 1 ) it became obvious Line Centres were positioned very precisely in accord with these very same unit multiples.

The matrix of Line Centres run North West - South East; within the local topography a NW - SE diagonal gives maximum desert space availability , thus maximum length of azimuthal alignment, permitting extremely accurate tracking of solar, lunar or planetary targets. Using a set of mini-Geometriglyph overlays we were able to confirm Dr Aveni’s findings that Line Centres interconnected other Line Centres in the network ; these interlinking radials corresponded exactly, or very close to, respective Station azimuths around the Geometriglyph. Predominant in the link chain, again, were the (green) core radials. (Follow the colour key on Part 3, Figure 1 )

LINE CENTRES: Here, again, we rely heavily on descriptive material taken from Memoirs of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. 183. ( Chap. II “Order in the Nasca Lines “ , Page 49 ) Aveni reports : “ Line Centres consist of one or several natural hills or mounds topped by one or more piles of boulders from which several lines of various widths eminate“ . “All seem to be situated on quite prominant headlands from which one can see a considerable distance.” In Chapter II, page 83, Aveni reports: “Centres ( 35 & 45 ) are positioned atop natural hills generally elevated barely a few meters above the Pampa surface and, like most Centres, they are visible from several kilometers away on a clear day”.

MAPS Vol. 183.( Chapter III. Archaeology of the Nasca Pampa. Persis B. Clarkson Page 155): “Eighty five per cent of all Line Centres have cultural remains; these remains include stone circles, structures and ceramic and lithic artifacts”. Page 159 Clarkson states: ”Artifacts and features found at Line Centres and geoglyphs can reflect the activities involved with the construction, maintenance and use of the Centres and geoglyphs ”. “ The size and characteristics of many vessels suggest they were intended for water storage “. “ The absence of reliable water on the Pampa necessitates storing water if any amount of time is to be spent there”.

Two most interesting features were noted from the Survey Plan, (Figure 1). Firstly, the Cahuachi Ceremonial Centre is sited at the vertex of six major astronomical alignments : Winter Solstice Sunrise (via L.C 39 ), Minimum Northerly Moonrise (via L.C 35 and 29 ),the Anti-Zenith Sunrise ( Zuidema) ( via L.C 40 and 26 ),the Zenith Sunrise (via L.C. 6 ), the Minimum Southerly Moonrise ( via L.C 28 and 63.) and the Summer Solstice Sunrise ( via L.C 18 ). Deliberate planning, perhaps ?

Secondly, an alignment from L.C 18, passing exactly between closely set L.C’s 3 & 4, crosses Centre V64 (after Veall) , exactly along the azimuth of the Winter Solstice Sunrise (J.S.S.R.). Centre V64 is in turn the horizon meeting point of the Minimum Most Southerly Moonrise read from L.C 45 (Station 20 ) Hoyle (1977),states: “ On the day of a Total Solar Eclipse , Sunrise and Moonrise occur at essentially the same point on the horizon, as is clear from the requirement that the Sun and Moon shall be in the same direction on such days “ . (This is the first evidence of Nascan lineal figurals acting as an Eclipse Predictor. Veall 2005 ).

CONCLUSION: By using astronomical phenomena as a datum to create a linear measurement facility and then exquisitely manipulating the same value multiple units into angular measurement, the populace could with extreme simplicity transfer any measurement from the Geometrigyph via a mnemonic device to store, record, transfer, or carry out metrological manipulations over a wide range of applications. The mnemonic device was almost certainly a colour coded Quipu backed up with linear output devices such as rods of varying lengths notched in unit multiples, or knotted cords of lengths tailored for longer distant measuring like plotting co-ordinates for siting Line Centres, azimuthal projections and linear figurals, civic or domestic buildings ,temples etc.

Line Centres: We can now put together a much clearer picture to “ reflect the activities involved around the construction , maintenance and use of Line Centres” ( Clarkson ).Line Centres are inevitably sited on the nearest convenient natural, or perhaps man-assisted , elevated ground allowing maximum visibility over many kilometers distance between interconnecting Line Centres. (Aveni ).As yet,there is no archaeological evidence to suggest that Line Centres were equipped with foresights or backsights to aid targeting horizon movements.

NOTE: There are a variable number of radials emanating from Line Centres which are not part of the basic mapping chain but appear to have an additional purpose, however, the very extensive analysis of each of the 62 or more individual “star centres” is a separate issue and not part of this News Release. A report will be published at a later date.

Clarkson’s report that 85% of Line Centres are accompanied by cultural remains - stone circles, structures and ceramics - testify, in the authors opinion, that Line Centres were no temporal facility but were occupied and active over the long-term .Ceramic artifacts, thought to be remains of water storage and drinking vessels (Clarkson) - date from the Early Intermediate Period ( like Cahuachi ) through to the Late Intermediate Period . Interestingly, Dr Clarkson found no evidence of cooking on sherds, suggesting only water and simple fare were being ingested during periodic visitations of short daytime / nightime duration. The stone circles being simple refugios (after Silverman ) - temporary residential accomodation serving as protection from wind, heat of the day or extreme cold of desert nights.

The colour coded azimuths in Figure 1 clearly demonstrate the strategic placement of the “star centres” and from where, by means of the judicially arrayed network of overlapping radials, they could perform as fully functional l Observation Platforms. Each an integral part of a gigantic matrix carefully tuned in accord with the Heavens and designed purposely to observe, track and record a multiplicity of celestial dynamics.. Planetary transits could then be interpreted for calendric ,agricultural, religious ritual, processional, water rites, fertility rites and a host of other socio-economic reasons. Perhaps, out of these, the most important was the facility to accurately predict Zenith Sunrise ; a time which coincided with the arrival of the vital rainy season across the Rio Grande de Nasca drainage.

Preliminary analysis of the Geometriglyph has given us a linear and angular system of measurement, the relationship between the Lines of Nasca and the Ceques of Cusco , and the method by which the indigenous population laid out the Line Centres matrix. The Geometriglyph has also provided positive proof that the Lines of Nasca are inextricably intertwined with astronomical phenomena, something which has been in continuous denial by many authorities since the late and much respected Dr Gerald Hawkins , using a modern computer programme, came to the conclusion there was no relationship between the Lines of Nasca and astronomy. (Hawkins G.S. 1967 Prehistoric Desert Markings in Peru .National Geographic Research Report. pp 117 –

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aveni: (1990) The Lines of Nasca.. ed. Anthony F Aveni.. The American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia

Clarkson, Persis (1990) The Archaeology of the Nasca Pampa: environmental and cultural parameters . The Lines of Nasca ed. Anthony F Aveni. pp 117 - 72. American Philosophical Society.Philadelphia.

Hawkins G.S. (1967) Prehistoric Desert Markings in Peru. National geographic Society Research Reports, 1967 pp117 – 44. Washington DC 1974

Reiche, Maria. (1976) Mystery on the Desert. Heinrich Fink, GmbH;Stuttgart.

Hoyle, Fred (1977) On Stonehenge. Heinemann Educational Books Ltd. London. Chapter 3, PP 49.

Silverman, Helaine: Cahuachi: non-urban cultural complexity on the south coast of Peru .Journal of Field Archaeology. 15 (4) 403 – 30.

Zuidema R T: (1982b) Catachillay: The Role of the Pleiades & Southern Cross and Alpha and Beta Centauri in the Calendar of the Incas. Ethnoastronomy and Archaeoastronomy in American Tropics, ed. Anthony F Aveni & G.Urton, pp 203 – 230 N.Y. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 385.

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