The feline geoglyph, seen on a hillside in Nazca, Peru, has been cleaned and conserved since its discovery. Photograph:( AFP )
The lines etched at the world heritage site at Nazca valley are made up of hundreds of geomorphic and zoomorphic images created by removing rocks and earth
A huge feline geoglyph has been discovered etched at a world UNESCO world heritage site at Nazca valley in Peru.
According to archeologists, the geoglyph, which dates back from 200-100BC, depicts an enormous cat lounging across a desert hillside.
The lines etched at the world heritage site at Nazca valley are made up of hundreds of geomorphic and zoomorphic images created by removing rocks and earth.
The cat is 37 meters long and had well-defined lines that varied in width between 30cm and 40cm.
It lies 400 kilometres south of Lima and cover about 450 sq km's of Peru's arid coastal plain.
Peru’s culture ministry said in a statement, “The figure was scarcely visible and was about to disappear because it’s situated on quite a steep slope that’s prone to the effects of natural erosion.”
“Over the past week, the geoglyph was cleaned and conserved, and shows a feline figure in profile, with its head facing the front.”
Johny Isla, Peru’s chief archaeologist for the lines said, “It’s quite striking that we’re still finding new figures, but we also know that there are more to be found.”