For over a century, archaeologists have scoured Peru’s Nazca Desert looking for enigmatic geoglyphs — vast figures that can only be fully appreciated from above. Some of these aerial artworks can span kilometers. However, despite their efforts, some of these designs remained elusive, hidden beneath centuries of natural erosion. Now, an AI-powered model has significantly accelerated the discovery process.

The researchers, led by Masato Sakai from Yamagata University in Japan, have discovered 303 new geoglyphs in the Nazca region by harnessing the pattern recognition power of AI. These ancient carvings, etched into the earth over 2,000 years ago, include everything from “decapitated heads” to a knife-wielding killer whale, providing new insight into the people of the Nazca culture.

AI Brings Archaeology to a New Frontier

Sakai and colleagues trained their AI to spot the subtle lines of these ancient figures in satellite images. Their system learned by analyzing a small dataset of known geoglyphs and then generated a map of probable locations for new figures. After cross-referencing the results and conducting field inspections, the team confirmed 303 new geoglyphs. Among them were humanoid figures, animals, and abstract shapes. Most of these newly found glyphs are barely visible to the naked eye, but the AI was able to find the original carvings in the eroded lines.

One of the most startling discoveries was a 72-foot-long orca brandishing a knife. “On some pottery from the Nazca period, there are scenes depicting orcas with knives cutting off human heads,” Sakai explained. This, he says, suggests that the killer whale might have been seen as a symbol of human sacrifice.

The new findings help differentiate between two distinct types of Nazca Lines: the relief-type geoglyphs, which are smaller and closer to ancient trails, and the larger, line-type figures. According to the study, 82% of relief-type geoglyphs depict humans or domesticated animals, like llamas. Meanwhile, 64% of the larger line-type geoglyphs showcase wild animals such as birds and whales. The proximity of relief-type figures to trails suggests they were meant to be seen by travelers, perhaps as part of small-group rituals.

Larger geoglyphs, on the other hand, are evenly spaced and more likely to have been used in community-wide ceremonies. These lines cover much greater distances and may have symbolized large-scale social or religious practices in the region.

Nazca Art and Culture

Glyph style differences hint at a complex social structure in Nazca culture. Some geoglyphs would have served public, ritualistic purposes and others perhaps shared stories or messages along quieter, everyday routes.

However, many mysteries remain surrounding these geoglyphs and the people who first etched them. No written records exist, so archaeologists rely on artifacts, architecture, and these puzzling geoglyphs to piece together their history.

We know that the Nazca culture thrived from around 100 BCE to 800 CE, in a harsh desert environment where survival was a daily challenge. To adapt, they had to get creative. The Nazca developed “puquios” — a system of underground aqueducts. These allowed them to bring water from distant sources to irrigate their fields year-round. Some puquios are still functional today.

Yet, despite their artistic and engineering achievements, the Nazca eventually collapsed. Was it due to environmental factors, such as prolonged drought, or internal conflicts? These Nazca lines are among the few things left that may help archaeologists tell these ancient people’s stories.

However, today, the Nazca Lines face new threats. Researchers believe that many of these figures, particularly the smaller ones, are in danger of disappearing due to agricultural expansion and urban development, as well as illegal mining and vandalism. “Speed is crucial because many geoglyphs lie on the cusp of erasure,” said David Beresford-Jones from the University of Cambridge.

AI: A Game-Changer for Archaeology

This study is just a recent example of the growing role of AI in archaeology, especially in the field of aerial imaging. The AI model used for this research was able to process massive amounts of data, identifying potential glyphs 50 times faster than a human expert could. IBM’s geospatial platform, PAIRS, was used for cleaning the satellite images before the AI split the Nazca Desert into grids, marking high-probability areas for further inspection.

While AI has been instrumental in uncovering hundreds of new geoglyphs, experts caution that the technology is still best suited for finding larger, clearer images— the “low-hanging fruit,” as the Japanese researchers described it. Nonetheless, the discovery of these figures has nearly doubled the number of known Nazca Lines in just a matter of months. All the other Nazca lines were identified across a hundred years.

The researchers now face the challenge of investigating the more than 1,000 additional candidate sites identified by the AI. If the past is any indication, there may be many more hidden figures waiting to be uncovered, promising even deeper insights into the ancient rituals and artistic practices of the Nazca culture.

These findings follow a growing trend of applying advanced technologies like machine learning, satellite imagery, and geospatial analysis to uncover lost civilizations. From ancient cities hidden beneath the Amazon rainforest to submerged landscapes in Europe, AI is proving to be a powerful tool in expanding our understanding of human history.

The new study and its findings were reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.