AI Uncovers 300 New Nazca Lines, Including 'Knife-Wielding Orca'

Scientists have always been perplexed by the Nazca Lines, ancient designs etched into the southern Peruvian desert, since they were found almost a century ago. Researchers have just discovered 303 more of these enigmatic figures, adding even more enigma to the mysterious location, thanks to artificial intelligence.

Among the recently found geoglyphs are a number of interesting patterns. While some might be easily identifiable, others might not seem to be. Researchers discovered that some of the pictures resemble killer whales with knives, cats, camels, and even in the shape of the popular Pixar robot character Wall-E. Some photos only acquire an otherworldly aspect that adds more mystery to these extremely ancient pieces of art.

The Nazca Lines have a purpose and meaning that have puzzled researchers for years now, dating back about 400 BC. In this respect, though the meaning of such is unknown, the recently found geoglyphs contribute to adding evidence on how just artistic and ingenious the people of Nazca were.

A joint effort involving scientists at the IBM Thomas J Watson Research Centre in New York and Yamagata University in Japan revealed the discovery, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Through the use of artificial intelligence (AI), they were able to decipher patterns concealed beneath the sands of the Nazca Desert that had never been seen before.

According to a release, after training the model on images of existing geoglyphs, the research team used it to look for more. They found 303 that they were able to confirm through site visits by human experts.

As expected, many of the lines comprising the newly found geoglyphs were faint, but the researchers could discern what they depict, mainly humans and domesticated animals, though some were abstract, such as a knife-wielding killer whale. The team plans to continue using the AI app to search for more examples of the ancient art.

Such a discovery is more than sure to reinvigorate interest in the Nazca Lines and encourage further research into the ancient civilisation that created them.

What are Nazca Lines?

According to Live Science, the Nazca Lines are a group of large human-carved geoglyphs located in a roughly 170-square-mile (440 square kilometres) area of Peru's Nazca Desert. The ancient artworks were likely created between 200 B.C. and A.D. 500 by members of the pre-Incan civilisation, known as the Nazca (or Nasca), who removed the upper layers of the desert's red-tinged surface pebbles to reveal sections of lighter soil in a wide range of different shapes and sizes. Researchers had already found around 430 Nazca Lines since the mysterious shapes were rediscovered by aeroplane passengers in the 1920s. Most of these geoglyphs were identified in the last 20 years with the help of advancements in satellite imagery.