Aliens and the Peruvian Nazca Lines

            Expanded across Nazca, Peru, is a variety of geometrically etched lines on the surface of the earth. These colossal geoglyphs, called Nazca Lines, make in a single, continuous line, displaying an elaborate array of designs of animals, plants, and geometric shapes. These etchings, spread across the Peruvian desert to the coastal plain, are believed to be created by the ancient natives of the Nazca culture. These mysterious lines have grabbed the attention of the archeological community, as well as the public. Because its origins still remain unclear, many theories as to why and how these incredibly intricate lines came to be: from spaceship landing strips created by aliens, to the possibility that they were part of a religious ritual performed by that Nazcas. .
             One speculative claim that rose to prominence was a theory presented by Erich von Däniken, a Swiss author, who argued that extraterrestrial beings affected the Nazca culture by producing these massive engravings for the purpose of being used as a runway for spaceships. Racist implications can be made because of some people's belief that there could be no possible way that the people of the Nazca culture had the knowledge and tools to create enormous impressions on the earth and order to support their beliefs is by establishing the existence of aliens. Another claim, which is well accepted in the academic community, is from Johan Reinhard, an archaeologist who is famous for his discovery of the Inca mummies in the Andes, claimed that these Nazca Lines were created by Nazca's very own ancient natives as sacred paths for the religious worship of deities in order to promote the fertility and water source of their crops. Despite the fact that the precise meaning of these geoglyphs shrouded in mystery, Reinhard's theory continue to be a more plausible and credited than von Däniken ridiculous claim of the existence of aliens and UFO spaceships due to the archaeological and historical data.