18 Facts About Nazca culture

Nazca culture was the archaeological culture that flourished from c beside the arid, southern coast of Peru in the river valleys of the Rio Grande de Nazca drainage and the Ica Valley.

Strongly influenced by the preceding Paracas culture, which was known for extremely complex textiles, the Nazca produced an array of crafts and technologies such as ceramics, textiles, and geoglyphs.

Early Nazca culture society was made up of local chiefdoms and regional centers of power that developed around Cahuachi, a non-urban ceremonial site of earthwork mounds and plazas.

Later Nazca culture society was structured in a similar fashion as before, but there was less emphasis on constructing large architectural complexes such as those at Cahuachi.

Much of Nazca culture art depicts powerful nature gods, such as the killer whale, the harvesters, the mythical spotted cat, the serpentine creature and, the most prevalent of worshiped figures, the anthropomorphic mythical being.

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Nazca culture used decapitated heads, known as trophy heads, in various religious rituals and appear as a motif in ceramic iconography.

Late Nazca culture iconography suggests that the prestige of the leaders of Late Nazca culture society was enhanced by successful headhunting.

Iconography on ceramics and excavated remains indicate that the Nazca culture people had a varied diet, composed of maize, squash, sweet potato, manioc and achira, and a small trace of various fish.

In terms of animal resources, the Nazca culture made sacrifices of llamas and guinea pigs at Cahuachi.

Nazca culture is characterized by its polychrome pottery, painted with at least 12 distinct colors.

The amount of pottery produced by the Nazca people is greater when compared to the preceding Paracas culture.

Archaeologists have excavated highly valued polychrome pottery among all classes of Nazca culture society, illustrating that it was not just the elite that had access to them.

Nazca culture 5 sees militaristic motifs becoming more common due to a drought causing conflict.

The motifs depicted on Nazca culture pottery fall into two major categories: sacred and profane.

The Nazca culture believed in powerful nature spirits who were thought to control most aspects of life.

Many textiles associated with the Nazca culture are garments that were included with grave goods found at burial sites.

Nazca culture's noted that although the women are rarely recognized in the archaeological record, they had ready access to high-status materials and the right to wear sacred or potent imagery on their garments.

Trephination was a primitive skull surgery used by the Nazca culture that relieved pressure on the brain from battle wounds or for ritual purposes.