Photo of the Day

Aerial view of designs in the desert
March 9, 2010

Nasca Lines, Peru

This Month in Photo of the Day: National Geographic Magazine Features

In the coastal desert of southern Peru, sprawling figures etched on the land—a spider, a monkey, a strange flying animal, and more—have inspired wonder in air travelers since first spotted in the 1920s. Now scientists believe they know why ancient people created the designs, beginning more than 2,000 years ago.


See more photographs from the March 2010 feature story "Sprits in the Sand."
Photograph by Robert Clark

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