4 ms·

Why would people spend so much time creating those large geoglyphs that can only be seen from the sky?

ftxbro 3y ago
If we go with the Motel of the Mysteries school of archaeology then it was obviously for ritual religious purposes and they were meant to be seen by their sky gods or by their ancestors who can view them from the sky. Alternatively if we go with History Channel school of archaeology then it was aliens. Ancient aliens who visited earth from extraterrestrial origins. The markings are meant to be seen by the aliens who haven't landed yet on earth's surface. Or maybe the aliens are very tall and they can see the whole pictures just when they are normally standing or sitting on the surface of earth.
- tmm84 3y ago
  Another explanation that I’ve seen that isn’t religious or alien related made me reconsider my view of them. Perhaps, these people had the tools and knowledge to make crude hot air balloons. A little out there but if they got up some height they could easily survey the land and lay out a design. From there if the designs purpose was in their society is another topic that if to speculation and deduction based on cultural remains.
  - irrational 3y ago
    I think Occam’s razor would suggest the religious explanation is more likely that hot air balloon technology. Doing large scale things for religious reasons is well documented for thousands of years before and after these were constructed. Hot air balloons? Not so much.
  - IanCal 3y ago
    A simpler explanation is that they were able to climb up hills.
- ozgung 3y ago
  Maybe they came to the conclusion that if the gods are watching from the sky they can't see them. People would appear smaller than the ants. So if they want to contact gods they have to send huge massages that can be viewed from the sky. That really makes more sense than sacrificing virgin ants and hoping sky gods to see them.
Aeolos 3y ago
For the same reason people today make corn field circles: humans are a playful species. “Hey guys, remember last year’s Peruvian Burning Man where we got drunk and drew a large phallus on the sand? Let’s do an even bigger one this year!” Our technology and day-to-day may have evolved, but the human brain is pretty much the same today as it was 10000 years ago.
- romusha 3y ago
  So the fae folks are us all along
IanCal 3y ago
According to a quick skim of the wiki page, you can see them from hilltops and they may have only taken a few days to make. Once humans get past basic survival, we seem to start filling our time at least partly with art.
bregma 3y ago
Well, "the sky" is nearby hills and mountains. This is a flat plane between some hills and some very tall mountains. If you've flown over the area you can see they even carved a human figure into the side of one of the hills overlooking the plains, as if it was a person standing and observing. Also, it wouldn't be a lot of time to make the figures. It's a plain with an aeolian crust that is easily penetrated. You just need to move some hand-size stones around and scrape the oxidized crust to reveal the lighter substrate. It would probably all wash away after a rain, except it just never rains there.

If we go with the Motel of the Mysteries school of archaeology then it was obviously for ritual religious purposes and they were meant to be seen by their sky gods or by their ancestors who can view them from the sky. Alternatively if we go with History Channel school of archaeology then it was aliens. Ancient aliens who visited earth from extraterrestrial origins. The markings are meant to be seen by the aliens who haven't landed yet on earth's surface. Or maybe the aliens are very tall and they can see the whole pictures just when they are normally standing or sitting on the surface of earth.

tmm84 3y ago
Another explanation that I’ve seen that isn’t religious or alien related made me reconsider my view of them. Perhaps, these people had the tools and knowledge to make crude hot air balloons. A little out there but if they got up some height they could easily survey the land and lay out a design. From there if the designs purpose was in their society is another topic that if to speculation and deduction based on cultural remains.
- irrational 3y ago
  I think Occam’s razor would suggest the religious explanation is more likely that hot air balloon technology. Doing large scale things for religious reasons is well documented for thousands of years before and after these were constructed. Hot air balloons? Not so much.
- IanCal 3y ago
  A simpler explanation is that they were able to climb up hills.
ozgung 3y ago
Maybe they came to the conclusion that if the gods are watching from the sky they can't see them. People would appear smaller than the ants. So if they want to contact gods they have to send huge massages that can be viewed from the sky. That really makes more sense than sacrificing virgin ants and hoping sky gods to see them.

Aeolos 3y ago

For the same reason people today make corn field circles: humans are a playful species. “Hey guys, remember last year’s Peruvian Burning Man where we got drunk and drew a large phallus on the sand? Let’s do an even bigger one this year!” Our technology and day-to-day may have evolved, but the human brain is pretty much the same today as it was 10000 years ago.

romusha 3y ago
So the fae folks are us all along

IanCal 3y ago

According to a quick skim of the wiki page, you can see them from hilltops and they may have only taken a few days to make. Once humans get past basic survival, we seem to start filling our time at least partly with art.

bregma 3y ago

Well, "the sky" is nearby hills and mountains. This is a flat plane between some hills and some very tall mountains. If you've flown over the area you can see they even carved a human figure into the side of one of the hills overlooking the plains, as if it was a person standing and observing. Also, it wouldn't be a lot of time to make the figures. It's a plain with an aeolian crust that is easily penetrated. You just need to move some hand-size stones around and scrape the oxidized crust to reveal the lighter substrate. It would probably all wash away after a rain, except it just never rains there.