Nazca Spiral Geoglyph: What Archaeology Shows

Spirals are among the most striking designs on the Nazca desert. Some are standalone geometric figures; others form part of animal figures, most famously the coiled tail of the Nazca monkey. Their clean, turning lines make them some of the most recognisable Nazca forms.

How the spirals were made

Like all Nazca geoglyphs, the spirals were created by removing the dark surface stones to expose the lighter ground beneath. Drawing a large, even spiral on the ground required careful planning and measurement, and Peruvian heritage inventories record several spiral figures across the Nasca and Palpa region.

What did the spirals mean?

We do not know. Spirals appear in many ancient cultures, and interpretations of the Nazca spirals range from water and the movement of the sun to paths walked in ritual procession. Because some figures seem designed to be walked, a ritual use is plausible, but the makers left no explanation.

The astronomical theory

The researcher Maria Reiche, who devoted her life to the lines, proposed that they formed an astronomical calendar. Later research has not supported that as a general explanation, though the lines' orientations continue to be studied.

The spiral in jewellery

A Nazca spiral design carries one of the oldest and simplest motifs in human art, drawn at landscape scale. See the AURYN Nazca spiral charm, or read our guide to the Nazca Lines. Spirals were carved and drawn by many ancient peoples; our guide to petroglyph symbols explains why they cannot be decoded from a chart.