Artificial intelligence helped archaeologists uncover 303 previously undocumented drawings in Peru's Nazca Desert, including human figures and severed heads.
The discoveries, published in September 2024, offer new clues about how ancient communities may have used the landscape to communicate beliefs and perform rituals.
Researchers from Japan's Yamagata University and IBM analysed aerial photographs using AI, then checked promising sites on foot. Their findings suggest smaller drawings were visible to travellers along ancient paths, while larger figures may have served communal ceremonies.
What the Newly Found Nazca Drawings Show
The Nazca Lines are famous for enormous outlines of animals, including hummingbirds and monkeys, alongside geometric patterns. Created roughly 2,000 years ago, the geoglyphs form part of a UNESCO World Heritage site in southern Peru.
Many newly documented drawings are smaller relief-type geoglyphs, which are difficult to distinguish from the desert landscape. They depict human-like figures, domesticated animals and severed heads.
According to the 2024 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 81.6% of 683 known relief-type figurative geoglyphs depicted humans or subjects associated with human activity.
Humanoid figures accounted for 33.8%, severed heads 32.9%, and domesticated camelids 14.9%.
The imagery may reflect ancient beliefs or ceremonies. However, depictions of severed heads do not prove sacrifices occurred at those locations.
How AI Accelerated the Archaeological Survey
Before the project, archaeologists had documented 430 figurative geoglyphs over nearly a century. A team led by Professor Masato Sakai used machine learning to identify potential discoveries in high-resolution aerial imagery.
During fieldwork from September 2022 to February 2023, researchers confirmed 303 additional figurative geoglyphs, bringing the known total to 733.
AI individually suggested 178 discoveries. Another 66 were found in groups partly flagged by AI, while 59 were identified without direct AI assistance.
The researchers reported a sixteenfold increase in the discovery rate compared with surveys conducted between 2004 and 2020. Smaller relief-type drawings lay an average of 43 metres from ancient trails.
Researchers suggested individuals or small groups viewed them, while larger line-type geoglyphs were probably associated with communal rituals.
Later Discoveries Reveal Patterns Along Ancient Paths
In July 2025, Yamagata University announced another 248 geoglyphs discovered during AI-assisted investigations in 2023 and 2024. Of these, 160 were figurative, raising the reported total of known figurative geoglyphs to 893.
The new finds included 41 human figures, 31 decapitation motifs and 21 llamas. Other drawings featured birds of prey, fish and feline animals.
Researchers identified recurring themes along particular paths. Some displayed severed heads and people holding them, which the university interpreted as possible references to human sacrifice. Others depicted wild birds or domesticated animals.
The university suggested these arrangements may have conveyed stories, beliefs or cultural memories. Their original meanings remain uncertain.
What Researchers Still Need to Discover
Nazca artists created many designs by removing surface stones to expose lighter ground beneath. The dry climate helped preserve them, although erosion, human activity and extreme weather remain threats.
In July 2025, Yamagata University reported that more than 500 AI-identified candidates still needed investigation. Not all may prove to be genuine geoglyphs.
The findings suggest the Nazca landscape held meaning beyond its famous giant drawings. Smaller figures may have communicated messages along ancient routes, but their precise meanings remain unresolved.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the Nazca Lines?The Nazca Lines are a series of large ancient geoglyphs in the Nazca Desert, in southern Peru, created by the Nazca culture between 500 BCE and 500 CE.
- How has AI contributed to the discovery of new Nazca geoglyphs?AI has been used to analyze aerial photographs, helping archaeologists identify potential new geoglyphs, which are then verified through fieldwork.
- What do the newly discovered Nazca geoglyphs depict?The newly discovered geoglyphs include human figures, domesticated animals, and severed heads, among other motifs.
- Why are the Nazca Lines significant?The Nazca Lines are significant due to their size, quantity, and cultural importance, offering insights into the beliefs and practices of the ancient Nazca culture.
