During excavations of the Nazca desert plateau in southern Peru, archaeologists have discovered a new geoglyph – a gigantic image of a cat about 37 meters long, created about two thousand years ago.
This find was reported by the country's culture ministry. It is noted that the drawing remained unnoticed by specialists until recently a plan was drawn up for a new trail leading to the observation deck.
The Peruvian ministry said in a statement that the ancient image of the cat was very faintly visible, and “it could have disappeared because it is located on a rather steep hillside, subject to natural erosion.” The giant geoglyph has been cleared and preserved.
According to experts, the drawing dates back to the late Paracas period, when images of cats were very popular in local culture: cats were painted both on fabrics and on dishes or other household items. This find by archaeologists is considered the oldest of the drawings of the Nazca plateau, dating from 100-200 BC.
